INTERVIEW WITH FIDEL, AN ASYLUM SEEKER FROM RWANDA.
Fleshing out
New Times: Have you ever lived or witnessed any case of misconduct by members of asylum seekers community?
Fidel: Personally, I have never been a victim of any violent behaviour. But somehow, people in the center get disturbed by any act of violence being done within the center. For example, some times in December last year, in Avnstrup, someone broke computers, TV-sets, and smashed the offices' windows and doors. I remember when i was in Auderød, before being moved to Avnstrup, the police was very often called in for intervention. People were either fighting or making trouble by vandalising the facilities in the center, destroying the kitchen utensils, and purportedly loitering around the centre.
New Times: According to you, how bad can the impact of such behaviour be on the asylum seekers community?
Fidel: It just makes them more and more frustrated, as the majority of these asylum seekers come from war torn countries, most of them are suffering from trauma, and are still just trying to recover from such an unpleasing psychical predicament.
New Times: What do you think should be done by the asylum seekers, on one hand, and the asylum institutions' authorities, on the other hand, to avert such regrettable cases?
Fidel: A committee should be set up, aiming at advising people on the basics of conduct and behaviour in the center. Those with some notorious disruptive behaviour could be summoned by the disciplinary committee, and be strongly warned. Everyone coming to stay in the center should sign clearly stipulated internal rules and regulations. Meaning that no one would plead ignorant with regard to disciplinary measures subsequent to any eventual offence. And if possible, the government, through the Danish Red Cross should consider initiating some sort of anger manager course, as part of a conflict transformation.
Mayele Deogratias Karegeya
