PHUKET: Six men from Syria who have been held captive at Phuket international Airport for 43 days are still hoping to find a country that will take them as refugees.
The United Nations' refugee organisation, UNHCR, ''is conducting fast-track refugee status determination for this group,'' a UNHCR spokesperson said today.
Two UNHCR representatives met with the six and interviewed them separately last week, a spokesman for the Syria six told Phuketwan by telephone from the Phuket airport ''Hospitality'' section today.
The men have been told they are better off staying on Phuket than being transferred to Bangkok. The ''Hospitality'' section is near the Immigration arrivals counter.
''Our accommodation here is still too cold,'' the spokesperson said, believing that the air conditioning has, if anything, been turned lower.
''And they forgot to feed us again yesterday.''
Mostly the men - all aged in their 20s - have been living on noodles. Four are Syrians while the other two are Palestinians who were living in Syria at the time they hatched the idea of buying fake Greek passports.
The six intended to follow the lead of others from Damascus who had reached sanctuary in Sweden via Beijing and Phuket. But the Chinese authorities checked and rejected the passports, returning the six to their port of embarkation - Phuket.
''We haven't seen the sun for 43 days now,'' said the spokesperson, who wishes to stay anonymous to protect his family in Syria. ''I think I have lost so much weight, perhaps seven or eight kilos.''
The six have been keen to make the point that they are all young and academic achievers who would make ideas refugees for an appropriate country.
The UNHCR spokesperson said the organisation ''have sought to provide material support, such as blankets. For confidentiality reasons, we cannot share further information on the individual cases.''
The United Nations' refugee organisation, UNHCR, ''is conducting fast-track refugee status determination for this group,'' a UNHCR spokesperson said today.
Two UNHCR representatives met with the six and interviewed them separately last week, a spokesman for the Syria six told Phuketwan by telephone from the Phuket airport ''Hospitality'' section today.
The men have been told they are better off staying on Phuket than being transferred to Bangkok. The ''Hospitality'' section is near the Immigration arrivals counter.
''Our accommodation here is still too cold,'' the spokesperson said, believing that the air conditioning has, if anything, been turned lower.
''And they forgot to feed us again yesterday.''
Mostly the men - all aged in their 20s - have been living on noodles. Four are Syrians while the other two are Palestinians who were living in Syria at the time they hatched the idea of buying fake Greek passports.
The six intended to follow the lead of others from Damascus who had reached sanctuary in Sweden via Beijing and Phuket. But the Chinese authorities checked and rejected the passports, returning the six to their port of embarkation - Phuket.
''We haven't seen the sun for 43 days now,'' said the spokesperson, who wishes to stay anonymous to protect his family in Syria. ''I think I have lost so much weight, perhaps seven or eight kilos.''
The six have been keen to make the point that they are all young and academic achievers who would make ideas refugees for an appropriate country.
The UNHCR spokesperson said the organisation ''have sought to provide material support, such as blankets. For confidentiality reasons, we cannot share further information on the individual cases.''
''And they forgot to feed us again yesterday.''
yeah I'm sure they "forgot"...
I'm wondering what would happen if one of them got violently sick
Posted by sky on February 27, 2014 16:41