Hundreds of Afghan refugees staged protests on Wednesday, 14 May, in multiple Indonesian cities particularly in Jakarta gathering outside the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Australian Embassy.
They demanded urgent action on their resettlement cases. The demonstrations took place ahead of the Australian Prime Minister’s official visit to Indonesia, with protesters calling on Australia and other resettlement countries to accelerate the processing of refugee claims.
Many of the protesters, including women, men, and children, held signs and chanted slogans urging the international community to address their plight. The refugees say they have been living in limbo for more than a decade, facing prolonged uncertainty and hardship.
“We have waited over ten years for resettlement. We are living without basic rights and with no future,” said one protestor.
The refugees expressed hope that their peaceful protest would attract the attention of Australian officials and lead to tangible progress in their cases.
Afghan refugees in Indonesia have previously staged similar demonstrations, criticising the UNHCR for what they describe as neglect and a lack of transparency in the resettlement process.
Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, hosts thousands of asylum seekers, many of them Afghans, who await third-country resettlement with limited rights and access to services.
