Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ahmed Mohamed, as I've been introduced.
It's my pleasure to appear in front of a parliamentary committee and, more importantly, the subcommittee on international human rights to talk about the issues that have bothered me many times.
Today I would like to present to you some of the challenges and human right abuses that a typical person living in Dadaab faces in his or her daily life. The problems that exist in those camps are numerous but, because of time, I will talk about a few that I believe amount to direct or indirect human rights abuses.
First of all, there is widespread corruption that affects all spheres of life in the camp. It involves almost every step that one has to take. For example, individuals travelling outside the camps are required to have a movement permit, along with their alien cards, issued by the Department of Refugee Affairs. But it's hard to get those documents without paying at least $100 U.S., which only very, very few people can afford. Sometimes, I was unlucky and couldn't pay that amount. I had to walk for about 90 kilometres on foot to visit my uncle whom I had not seen for a long time. Such incidents restrict most people from moving outside the camp.
In the hospitals, some of the patients are asked to pay for referral to UNHCR for major medical complications. I remember one of my neighbours was once asked to pay $1,000 U.S. to refer her daughter who had chronic epilepsy. Admission to the schools is also taxed. It's no longer free. It costs $50 for new students for an administration fee, and parents just believe that one. They just take it as normal. I remember one time when I told a parent that she never had to pay the administration fee and it was illegal to do. She was surprised to hear me say that.
The rampant corruption in the camps amounts to denial of basic human rights, including to the very necessities of life such as the right to education, shelter, and food. That's why I feel it is human rights abuse and violations. It also impedes the right for equal opportunities in the employment system, where it is less likely to get hired without bribery.
There's an incident that I would like to share with you because it haunts me whenever I remember it. It happened to my cousin who lived in a different camp, and he was a person living with a disability. One day we were told that he had been in jail for five days. Some elders went to see him, but they realized he was transferred to another police cell outside the camp. He was brought back after two weeks for court in Dadaab. He was falsely accused of raping a women he legally married. His marriage certificate was rejected, and the witnesses feared for their lives. The prosecutor told me privately that, if I had come earlier to the court, the case could have been settled with 50,000 Kenyan shillings, which is equivalent to about $500 U.S. We could not pay that amount, so we were unable to help him. He was taken to a provincial court where he was later proven to be innocent after spending several weeks behind bars; yet, he still had to pay $200 U.S. for a reason that I don't understand up to today.
We later came to know that the family of the lady was uncomfortable with the fact that their daughter was marrying a man with a disability. They made up the entire case and bribed the police prosecutor. Even before the court freed him, it was obvious, at least to me, that the case was unrealistic because my cousin was in a wheelchair and could not move without his wheelchair, as both his legs had been paralyzed at a young age. The police saw that they had to move him. They had to move him to and from the vehicle by themselves. It just shows how inhuman that one was.
On the other hand, a very reliable friend of mine who is a social worker currently in the camps recently told me that last December there was an 11-year-old girl who was raped by a man who was working as humanitarian staff. But he bribed both the police and his seniors, and was able to walk freely without being punished.
These disheartening facts indicate the failure of the justice system to protect even the most deserving and most vulnerable individuals in society. I believe there are many other cases, and many others who have experienced similar incidents to these ones that I have just narrated, whose voices are unheard.
In addition to this, the police sometimes carry out an impromptu operation and indiscriminately arrest anyone who doesn't have their refugee identification card with them. It's sometimes hard when you go into the police cell to get out of it without purchasing your freedom. This creates constant fear in the camps, especially among the youth, who are mostly the target of the police. It is a saddening reality that makes life unbearable in the camps. It is perhaps this reason, or it's one of the reasons, that forces some families to return to Somalia—although it's sometimes called “voluntary”, but it's not voluntary to me—where they will face dire poverty and insecurity.
If I am allowed, I would recommend that the committee further their human rights case study on Dadaab and see the current situation for themselves. Investigating and documenting human rights violations by working with the other partners on the ground, where possible, could bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Canadian government could also consider resettlement for the individuals whose rights have been violated. And above all, the Canadian government can take part in stabilizing Somalia, where most of the refugees come from. This could be the greatest achievement, because it would give the refugees the opportunity to return and live in their homeland as dignified as any other citizens in this world.
Thank you for your attention.