02-02-2012
Somalis being recently detained by police affirm that they were demanded $2000. They were closed by force in the flat. After some calls to human rights activists and help of Security Service illegal migrants were released.
– Dek closed us here. This foreigner works with police, – translator translates Somalis. – Yesterday we gave him $300 to be released. We said to ask more money from relatives and friends. On this purpose, they left us phones.
We asked address from passerby being at the balcony
Somalis tell that they were taken to the flat and closed there after a talk with police officers. Since Wednesday (January 1) they did not have anything to eat and one of the girls felt bad. Boys called to Svitlana Poberezhets – human rights activist. She communicated with them overnight in the presence of police officers.
– According to their words after detention by police in the flat on the Kotsjubynskyi Str. and interrogation in the department, they were taken to another flat and were kept there by force, – the representative of Centre on Aid to Refugees, human rights activist, Svitlana Poberezhets says. They asked passerby from the balcony to tell the address and in such a way they learned the place of their detention. First, I phoned to police, then to Security Service and public prosecutor’s office. I was ignored by all of them.
«We want to have refugee status»
After three hours of Svitlana and her colleagues’ waiting at the door, the representative of Security Service arrived. Later on, they came back with that very Dek, who opened the flat by his own key.
– They live here, they were detained yesterday and released,- Dek says. – They have all necessary things, water and food. Nobody keeps them here.
However, Somalis affirmed to journalists for camera through a translator that they were kept by force.
-They say, that police officers demanded money for their release, – S.Poberezhets says translating the answers of Somalis from English. – We want peace and get refugee status in Ukraine, we want to apply our documents. We got to Ukriane through unmarked borders with Russia, and there we arrived from Somalia escaping from danger. We addressed for help to International Commissar on Refugee Issues. Yesterday, after we were in police station, Dek and two men in uniform took us to this flat and closed the door. We think, they want money from us. $300 were already paid to Dek yesterday.
Police participation will be checked by Security Service of Ukraine (SSU)
The age of all those who were in the flat was under 18 years old – these were five boys and two girls. One of Somali girls felt really bad. Ambulance was called for her and two other boys. While the doctors were coming, the girl was recovered consciousness.
– Their friend lost consciousness. She says that she is out of strength at all. There are pains in the heart and stomach. Doctors from ambulance hospitalize them.
As it was explained by the human rights activists, SSU had to interrogate S.Poberezhets. If she names the concrete persons, so they must establish the participation of these persons, interrogate them and make decision in accordance with the application.
The head of Vinnytsya Municipal Administration of Interior Yuriy Kutsyi categorically denied the participation of police to detention of illegal migrants at the flat. He said that seven minors were detained recently, on February 1.
– Number “102” has received a call from the citizens, who informed about possible escape of gas in the flat on Kotsjubynskyi Str. The police officers came and detected foreign citizens without documents in the flat documenting the fact. Migration Service has to take care of them because detainees are under age persons.
He also reported that police does not have translators. So to say, a person placing illegal migrants to another flat does not have anything in common with police.
– It is nonsense, – he said about the statement of human rights activist about demanding of money.