EPDP Asks Swiss Authorities Not to Encourage Asylum Seekers to Contact Eritrean Consulate

2017-05-30 21:48:58 Written by  EPDP Information Office Published in EPDP News Read 2991 times

In yet another memorandum addressed to the Swiss Foreign Ministry on 30 May, the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP) urged Swiss authorities to kindly stop asking Eritrean asylum seekers "to bring documents from the Eritrean Consulate".

 

Addressed to Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, the Swiss Foreign Minister, the EPDP memorandum made it clear that asking asylum seekers to bring documents from the regime consulate entails the signing of "self-recriminating letters of regret at the Eritrean Consulate and paying the illegal 2% tax".  

 

The message protested that the action by local Swiss authorities is violating the right of  asylum seekers to be considered for legal protection taking into consideration the  human rights and political situation in Eritrea under a regime characterized by the UN Human Rights Council as "perpetrator of crimes against humanity" in a systematic manner for over two decades.

 

It is also to be recalled that during April and May, a number of human rights and pro-democracy activist groups in Switzerland have circulated a letter of advice to all Eritrean asylum seekers in the country to refuse contacting the Eritrean regime consulate because they have the right to seek political protection in Switzerland in view of the gross human rights violations in their country of origin.

Logos

Logos of signatories of the "know-your-rights" letter circulated to all Eritrean asylum seekers in Switzerland.

The advice, written in Arabic, English, Tigrigna and Swiss languages, also urged the Eritrean asylum seekers not to sign the letters of regret at the Eritrean consulate and refuse paying the illegal 2% tax.

Last modified on Tuesday, 30 May 2017 23:54