HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATED IN SHADOW OF INT´L COURT OF JUSTICE

NETHERLANDS, Ter Apel | More than 300 refugees, which have been denied access to the Netherlands are camping to protest the Dutch decision they should return to their home countries. That many of the Iraqi’s, Iranians, Somalians and Afghani’s are facing death when they are sent home, doesn’t bother the local politics. In fact, Dutch politics even deny their basic human rights, such as water, food and shelter. Volunteers from all across the country are trying to help, but many are stopped by Dutch police.

They have been camping for 9 days now, and what used to be a small emergency solution grew to a massive protest camp. Refugees and volunteers from all over the Netherlands are flocking together to protest the Dutch policy of immigration (under the rule of minister Leers) which clearly violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Human Rights Declaration and the International Treaty of Refugees. That the Dutch country, which houses the International Court of Justice in The Hague gets away with these violations, is a huge thorn in the eye of both the global community and the members that support the United Nations.

A van, stuffed with goods by volunteers, was stopped by the police. “We simply could not deliver the chairs that we were bringing. People are sitting on wet grass soil in one of the rainiest countries Europe knows, but the police finds it more important to stop volunteers than to assist the public health and provide for human rights”, one of the volunteers tells. “It is clear that politics are tangled up in their own bureaucracy and can't see or think clearly anymore.” The red cross, who originally wanted to assist, was officially asked not to help in this situation. The city council also decided to close and block the water provision.

Dozens of volunteers around the country have picked up on the idea through the social media. They are printing flyers, collecting foods and goods in almost every city and try to provide the camp as much as they can. “It’s amazing,” someone says, “it’s like we are all working for this goal of humanity and this feeling gives us energy to go on. The Dutch people and the public’s opinion is also very clear on this. We need to help them. They have no other option.”

Artists are also joining the call and are organizing a love and unity festival on Saturday at the camp site in the North of Netherlands to draw more attention to this human cooperation. Also they are inviting all refugees and volunteers to join and assist in the camp. A refugee camp within the borders of Europe, denied the very basic human rights is exactly the thing that shows how disconnected today’s European politics are from humanity.

Could this be a new spark in the shift millions of people have been anticipating? We shall see.

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