”I’m a human being. I don’t want to die here,” screamed one man as he threw himself at a fence in a frantic bid to reach officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
The officials were visiting the new camp in Glenvista, Johannesburg, set up for victims of xenophobic violence who had spent three weeks camped outdoors at the Jeppe and Cleveland police stations.
The refugees swept towards the fence, desperate to catch officials’ attention. A Congolese woman was crying hysterically and said: ”When I was selling food on the street I was suffering, but at least I was free.”
Camp inmates are demanding that UNHCR help because they do not trust the South African government.
They are particularly worried about being forcibly reintegrated among the people who raped, robbed and tried to kill them.
Most want the UN to help them resettle in another country — not necessarily their country of origin.
”We want the UN to come and help, we don’t want help from your government,” said Serge Boyele, a Congolese refugee whose biggest fear is being dumped in his old neighbourhood.
Refugees from some countries are not seeking repatriation, having fled conflict at home. ”I lost my children and my husband in the war, so how can I go back there?” asked Miriam Aboko from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UNHCR defines a refugee as someone who is outside his or her native country and has a well-founded fear of racial, religious, national, political or other persecution if he or she returns.
The Glenvista refugees believe the UNHCR has a duty to help them: ”Only the UN can intervene now; the South African government has failed to respond to this crisis,” said James Aliga from Burundi.
Refugees said conditions in the new camp are far worse than at the police stations. ”We are feeling stressed and angry here. I have a six-month-old baby who has diarrhoea because of the food we get,” said Jannette Wamboyi from Burundi. Picking up a pack of baby cereal, she pointed to the expiry date: November 24 2006.
Aboko agreed: ”It’s very cold in the tents, especially at night. There’s no electricity, no warm water and those who eat only have breakfast at midday. At night we only eat at 8 or 9pm. We don’t have mattresses and not enough blankets.”
But for UNHCR spokesperson Yusuf Hassan says resettlement in another country, which takes more than two years to negotiate. ”The solution for now is to help the people in terms of security and to see that they get humanitarian help. The other plan is to reintegrate them, and some people have already gone back. They can be reintegrated anywhere they want.”