Image of crowded unhygenic IDC of Bangkok where people are forced to sleep over one another, in a crouching position or in extreme cases standing up.
An attempt to extort money from a desperate family who have successfully attained resettlement in the US through the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) in Thailand, by the Royal Thai Government is being labelled avaricious.
all of whom were to be resettled in the US during January/February 2017, brought a moment of exuberant joy to the beleagured Pak-Christian asylum seekers
of Bangkok. This joy however was soon to come to an abrupt end as knowledge of a fine imposed on every member of the family for overstaying
their original tourist visa, disseminated through the community. Apparently the Government of Thailand unlike many other nations across the world chooses
to retain these fines for refugees who are to be resettled abroad, despite the fact that the removal of such persons reduces the burden on their own
nation.
Sri Lanka a newly formed nation after a very bloody civil war that raged on from 1984 – 2007 and an extremely poor developing nation, have chosen to
waive such fines, working with the UNHCR based i Colombo, mainly due to the fact that the nation has seen so much war and conflict they now see themselves
as peacemakers. Thailand has a relatively strong economy based on a Foreign Exchange Reserve (foreign assets held or controlled by the country
central bank) of 174.7 USD Billion, and per capita income of 13,430 PPP dollars (2013), which dwarfs figures for Sri Lanka, yet they still extort
these fines from proven genuine refugees. This process makes no sense and Wilson Chowdhry Chairman of the BPCA termed it one that is ‘avaricious’.
The family of Cyril Kamran (age 43), his wife Samina Cyril (age 43), his teenage daughter Simren Cyril (age 17), and his young son Cyrus Cyril (age
9) have suffered greatly. Not only did they suffer great persecution in Pakistan but whilst struggling to survive as illegal asylum seekers in
Thailand, a nation which shows little mercy to those seeking refuge, his father died in August. We purchased the family a blood pressure meter
in September 2015 after a request from Cyril who had terminal stage Lymphoma cancer and his father Hector Williams (RIP), who was suffering from a
chronic renal failure and congestive heart failure and needed dialysis every week (click here).
The family are reaching the point of actually being able to be resettled in the United States. However, one of the final hurdles will be paying the
Royal Thai Government a fine for their immigration status. Mr. Kamran has advised us that the Thai Government requires a 20,000 THB fine for those
who have overstayed their visa, as illegal immigrants, for those over the age of 14 years. So for the three adults in his family that amounts to 60,000
THB or £1389 ($1672.59 USD,1600 Euros)
Euros). Due to their medical conditions, as Mr. Kamran explaiined to us that he does not believe his family members are capable of this stay in the
IDC. He said (sic):
“As I told you that the health condition of me and my wife is not good, my left hip joint is artificial and from last one year I feel severe pain. In my last medical examination at Bangkok Christian Hospital arranged by IOM, they identify that the joint is loose and that I need surgery again but the surgery needs time so that’s why they advise me that we will refer your case to US for surgery. Due to that pain I am unable to lay on the even on a comfortable bed so how can I spend one week on the floor of IDC.
He added:
“As you are well aware of the conditions of IDC, health conditions are very bad and as I work once a month at Tuz Chi free community clinic as an interpreter
and maximum of the patients who came out on bail from IDC even in the last year they all have so many skin problems, scabies is the most common disease.
Patients of scabies are still fighting with these issues after bailed out from IDC. A room for 20-30 is filled with 80-90 detainees. They also cut
down the water supply for days they treated asylum seekers and refugees like animals.”
Collaborating with R.E.A.L. and Pakistan Christian Post we would like to raise the outstanding fines and prevent the family from further turmoil. If you would like to contribute towards the fines of the family please (click here)