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Rights of the child / Urgent Interventions / Spain / 2001 / January

Spain: Spain: Immigrant children on hunger strike against orders of expulsion

Case ESP 240101.CC
CHILD CONCERN

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation regarding the autonomous community of Melilla in Spain.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT was informed by reliable sources of the hunger strike in which several Algerian children have allegedly engaged since 17 January 2001. The children have joined their families and other immigrants of Pakistani origin in a hunger strike at the Centre of Temporary Stay for Immigrants (Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes). They are protesting against several orders of expulsion that the Delegation of the Government has issued, instructing that some immigrants leave the national territory within three days if they want to avoid being charged with a crime.

According to the information received, orders of expulsion also reached 13 Algerian children who allegedly declared that they would prefer anything else than experience the fear and the risk of being killed again in the civil war that has been recently escalating in Algeria. As a result of the pressure by children human rights NGOs, the Delegation of the Government declared on 22 January 2001 that these Algerian children would be transferred to the Spanish peninsula instead.

It is reported that, in spite of the decision by the Government to transfer the 13 Algerian children to the Spanish peninsula, the hunger strike of the children and their families at the Centre of Temporary Stay for Immigrants still continues in solidarity with those, children and adults, who still are at risk of expulsion.

The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its grave concern about the situation, and particularly over the physical and psychological safety and integrity of all children of Melilla. OMCT calls on the Spanish Government to immediately revoke all orders of expulsion, to stop the issuing of new ones, to protect the rights of all children, and especially those of immigrant children, without any discrimination on grounds of national origin, race or social status, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Action requested:

Please write to the authorities in Spain urging them to:

i. immediately revoke all orders of expulsion of immigrants from the Spanish territory;
ii. guarantee the safety, the physical and psychological integrity of all children and especially of those of Melilla;
iii. guarantee that children are not forcibly separated from their families;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards and in particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Addresses

Presidencia del Gobierno, S.E. D. José María Aznar Lopez, Complejo de la Moncloa - 28071 Madrid. Portavoz del Gobierno, Dr. Pio Cabanillas; Fax: (+ 34) 91 321 40 30

Director del Gabinete de la Presidencia, D. Carlos Aragones Mendiguchia, Complejo de la Moncloa - Madrid Fax : (+ 34).91.390.0356

Ministro del Interior - Jaime Mayor Oreja, Ministerio del Interior, Paseo de la Castellana, 5 - 28071 Madrid Fax : (+ 34) 91.522.1538. (+ 34).91.522.5865

Defensor del Pueblo - Fernando Alvarez de Miranda y Torres Eduardo, Defensoría del Pueblo, 31 - 28071 Madrid Fax : (+ 34) 91.308.1158

Consejo General del Poder Judicial - Presidente Francisco Javier Delgado Barrio Marques de la Ensenada, 8 - 28071 Madrid Fax : (+ 34).91.310.0306

Fiscal General del Estado, Fiscalia General de Estado - Jesús Cardenal Fortuny, 4 - 28071 Madrid Fax : (+ 34).91.319.3317

Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores - Juan Abel Matutes, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Plaza de la Provincia, 1 - 28071 Madrid España Fax (+ 34).91.366.3856

Ministro de Justicia, Dr. Angel Acebes Paniagua, Ministerio de Justicia,
Fax.: (+ 34)9 1 390 22 68

Tribunal Tutelar de Menores de Melilla; Fax: (+ 34) 95 268 05 29

Diplomatic representatives of Spain accredited to your country.

Geneva, 24 January 2001

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

Properties

Date: January 24, 2001
Activity: Rights of the Child
Type: Urgent Interventions
Country: Spain

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