CHILE: Syrian refugees

The reasons of the Syrian refugees who ask to leave Chile: State ratifies that it will not pay for travel

Five of the fourteen Syrian refugee families demand the UN leave Chile. For this reason, about fifteen citizens demonstrated during this Friday, due to the fact that a member of the group was attacked during the weekend in the commune of Macul.

According to the woman who had been pregnant for five months, she walked with a group of friends when a subject - apparently with mental problems - began to insult her for wearing her hijab (Islamic veil), shouting at her and then  pouncing on her, causing He fell and hit his abdomen. After that, it was found that his son no longer had vital 

Due to the fact, the Government asked the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the complaint,although it is not possible to establish a relationship between the aggression and the interruption of the pregnancy.

Nabil Shehawei, a Syrian citizen, saidthey are scared and asking for help to leave. "We are scared for the future of our children, we are afraid of what happens in school, in jobs, we want to go to Canada, Belgium or Switzerland," he said.

Despite this claim, in the group that seeks to leave the country is not the woman assaulted, whose identity was protected.

Alfredo del Río, general coordinator of the resettlement program for Syrian refugees of the Ministry of the Interior,regretted the situation and said "that we are taking advantage of a fortuitous event that we deeply regret." Chile made a gesture of solidarity (...) They want to leave, they have every right, but they do not ask us to move them, "he said.

It should be noted that each Syrian family signed a document where they accepted the conditions of the trip, where it is specified that the State will not pay the cats in case they want to leave. For this reason, it is not ruled out that they have used Chile as a springboard country to reach Europe, since the social benefits are much greater.

The representative of the UN Refugee Agency, Delfina Lawson, said that the channels have always been open for dialogue. "We are not going to talk in these conditions, and we are sure that if we promote a resettlement program in Chile it is because Chile is safe and that the conditions can be given so that they can be integrated here," he said.

Version of other refugees

Palib Abijan, a Syrian refugee, says he does not feel insecure. "It's the way it looks, all the people walk, I have not had any problems."

Farhat Abdallah said that "in the name of God I apologize for what is happening, I feel shame, we are not like that, we do not think like them, this country opened the doors for us, it helped us a lot," he assured.

From the Syrian Charities Association they pointed out that Chile is safer than Syria and Lebanon. "They have that critical judgment because they come with problems, stress, need psychological support, and they are denying it, and the request they make is not only exaggerated, but unreal," they said