On World Refugee Day, refugees from Afghanistan in Indonesia expressed their dissatisfaction with the UNHCR for failing to address their problems.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, thousands of refugees have been living in a state of uncertainty in Indonesia for over 12 years. Despite continuous demonstrations over the past two years, the UN Refugee Agency and refugee-supporting countries have shown no concern for their grievances.
The statement highlights the severe psychological distress suffered by refugees, resulting from years of distress. At least 17 young Hazara refugees have committed suicide in the past three years, and many others have been hospitalized for mental health problems.
The refugees urgently call upon the UNHCR, refugee-supporting countries, and organizations advocating for refugee rights to pay serious attention to their predicament and facilitate their resettlement.
They stated, “If the UNHCR and human rights organizations genuinely stand for refugee rights, they should take real action on our behalf. Nowhere else have refugees been left waiting for 12 years.”
On Tuesday, another group of these refugees in Makassar, Indonesia, protested the UN and other countries’ negligence by wearing shrouds as a symbol of their plight.
For years, thousands of refugees from Afghanistan have been confined to immigration camps across various cities in Indonesia, yet the United Nations and countries accepting refugees have failed to address their applications.
