Limitation For A Refugee

When we are mentally and physically tired, we are frustrated or fully depressed; there will be a great option to refugee to, it is not just me saying this but even the psychologists and psychiatrists trying to take their patients to deep sleep by tablets even. Yes, being half death is a very good choice to pick for recovery, for resting and for being able to start another day to breath.

This was my best choice too to forgetting difficulties along a day. And among most of refugees, I was one of those trying to sleep earlier due to not being able to sleep during the day because as a focal point, usually during the days, people were coming to my room for their problems such as writing letters addressing to UNHCR or IOM, communicating with IOM for their sickness and/or many who had problems between the roommates because of some principles issues. Besides, I would have to wake up early morning for going to primary health care or hospitals two times per week at least, accompanying refugees to the hospitals. Not only because I knew the procedure for were the hospitals in collaboration with IOM but also most of the refugees not able to speak either English or Bahasa Indonesia. And also if I would go to outside for those kind of activities, I was doing exercise for keeping myself healthy.

One of the days I had hard day. There was health promotion class about HIV/AIDS held by IOM in the meeting room of accommodation for refugees and I was the interpreter in the event. I was more tired on that day therefore, around 10 pm perhaps I fall asleep. Normally in the beginning of sleeping period for two or three hours I sleep so deep and difficult to wake up. Suddenly I was shocked. I woke up and I really scared. Did not know what happened. When I opened my eyes, there was one of refugees who woke me up and standing beside my bed and looking at me. His face was pale like something very serious happened. I looked at the window and it was dark so I understood it is still night. First I asked him why he did not knock the door, he just said sorry. I did not have time to think and directly asked him what happened?

He said Agha Saeb( people were calling me this way because my ethnic is Sayed/Sadat which refers to prophet Mohammad “pbuh”, decedent of prophet Mohammad “pbuh”) Zia is arrested by immigration and please go there to help him.

I thought it is my own roommate as his name was Ziya too but then he explained this is another person who recently released from IDC and I am not really familiar with him.

I asked about the time, he said it is 12:25 am (midnight).

I said: what did he do? Why the immigration did arrest him? He answered that he does not know too much but just received call from him asking help.

I quickly changed my cloths, without taking shower and moved ahead to the immigration office department which was located about five KM farther away. I was trying to order Gojek( local Uber) since the fee was cheap but since our accommodation was out of town, it was difficult and sometime impossible to get Gojek driver. Finally I called Taxi station and ordered a taxi to go to the immigration office. It cost expensive for us to use Taxi by the monthly allowance we had but no choice.

While I was waiting I just felt like I even do not have privacy in my own room during sleeping time. This guy could knock the door or call to my cell phone but he directly came inside my room and woke me up that way which is not really polite. It was not actually acceptable but I could understand people there. Not everyone knew privacy or how they should do in those kinds of situations. And sometimes refugees were thinking that I am truly like 24 hours stand by officer there and in any conditions I should do whatever they need. They were acting like they pay me or someone which could be IOM or UNHCR pay me for all what I was doing meanwhile in the reality, I never get even a penny from anyone. I was not feeling good for what happened and somehow angry but I was also thinking the guy arrested by immigration.

There were dozen thoughts in my brain about him. Thinking what he did so the immigration officer stopped him. I was just thinking that he might do a crime so he was arrested but could not summarize. In the same time I was kind of upset to him thinking why in this time of the night?

Well, finally the Taxi came and it took almost 15 minutes I arrived in the immigration office at 1:10 am. The receptionist realized I am a refugee and knew that I came because of another refugee and asked me to go to upstairs saying that another refugee is there. I took the stairs and reached the second floor. There were almost five officers sitting on the chairs outside of the office having their drinks. Our refugee whom I could not remember whether I saw him before or not because his face was not too familiar was sitting there too, he seem was beaten looking at his scared face. A short and dark-brown skin young man, age of 22 or less.

The officer asked me: who are you?

- I replied: I am the focal point

What focal point?

-Representative I said.

You can speak Bahasa?

- A little but I can understand.

Ok, ask him (Zia) why he is outside of the accommodation after 10 pm? He talked to me in Bahasa by anger.

When the officer told me this, I understood that the preseason the arrested him is being out of accommodation after 10 pm, because according to the immigration regulations for refugees, we were not allowed to be out of our room later than 10 pm. First we were not allowed to go out of town I mean to another city rather than Surabaya and Sidoarjo cities and even if we go to the center of the city for buying something or eating or any other permitted activities, we must return to the accommodation before 10 pm.

I translated it to Zia. He said the he went to Cito(city of Tomorrow) mall which is the nearest one to buying shoes for him and it became late for coming back.

I translated back to officer and he asked again. What he was doing in the Indomaret(one of chain stores in Indonesia)?

He said that he was tired and thirsty since he went to that mall by walking so he stopped by there and bought some water to drink ant take a pause for a while and move ahead again to accommodation.

I passed the response to the officer but it was not tolerable for him. He was just repeating that you refugees are not allowed to be outside after 10 pm, then why you are still out? Why you don’t follow the regulations? Why you do not know your right?

By listening all these questions, I was just thinking how limited we are. He mentioned about rights. I was asking myself, do we have rights? And I did not get answer or probably the answer would be “No”

The officer was talking and asking those types of questions nonstop of course by anger.

Zia was too scared. I could see from the way he was holding a small bottle of water in his hand. He said that he did not really wanted to be late but unfortunately this happened and tried to apologies but the officer would not listen to him and continuously blaming him for breaking the law. One of the hard parts for me was when the officers turned his face to me and said by anger: do you know this is not your country? Do you know that this not your home and you should do whatever we decide? Can you understand? I said yes sir, I do understand and I am very sorry for what happened. I said to officer that I will guarantee that this person will not be out of his room later than 10 pm anymore but please let him go home. He also did apologies many times and accepted that he did mistake and will not be repeated again but the officers never listen. One officer going and another were coming and would not allow us to go home. Even though it was not really our home as the officer said. But somehow we were counting it as our home. When I looked at my phone watch, it was already 3:5 am and they hold us there.

It was quite hot there and during being in that area, I was bitten a lot by mosquitoes as I was in rush I forgot to wear my snicker instead of my sandal and also had short sleeve T-shirt. I was really tired actually and so sleepy but in very bad condition.

I asked Zia what happened actually and how they recognized him? Because he looks was more like Indonesian except from far distance, he could be recognized by his dressing.

He explained how they approached him. He said the he was sitting on the Indomart chair in front of the store and drinking water while he realized two people is looking at him suspiciously and few minutes later, two other person came close to him and asked him where he comes from. He answered from Afghanistan. And then asked him about his passport but he did not have and said he is a refugee by showing his refugee ID card. When they realized that he is a refugee, they called the immigration and few minutes late a car came and picked him up saying the he should go with them to the immigration.

I asked him if he did not do anything else like driving motorbike or maybe being any girl or something. He said no, he was sitting alone and having water in front of Indomart and some people came close to him and took him there. Well, I did not have anything to say except thinking of how pity we are and how life is unfair.

Actually sometimes I would understand them for doing those restrict things because the only thing that they know about Afghanistan was war, terrorism and Taliban so probably they were thinking that they should treat us like terrorists and limit us but in another hand I was also thinking that they are educated people and working in the international department so they should have at least basic knowledge about the countries that they are involve with especially about Afghanistan which there are a lot of afghan refugees in their country and since long time at least if they did not stay in Indonesia, the passed it for going to Australia. They should know why people are taking refuge to their country. They must already know about all these things after many years now refugees are coming to Indonesia for temporary time.

While I was sitting by sweating since there was no AC of fan but the weather was kind of warm, the Muazen's from mosque loudspeakers broke the silence of having those thoughts circling in my head. Yes, it was already 4:15 am and we were still in the immigration department in unclear condition. I entered to one of offices there and asked whether he is free and we can go back to the refugees’ accommodation or not. The officer sitting there just looked at me and said: go and sit there. I could not say anything then returned back. His Refugee ID card was also with them so for leaving the immigration building he should have his ID card first.

Some of them went for prying and came back and we were not supposed to move except for using toilet so I could not pray. And slowly the sun was rising up and night was going away but for us as refugees, I could not see the lights touching us and telling us that night is over.

One of the officers who had high position I thing came close to us and asked Zia whether he will be careful after this to respect the regulations or not. Zia with scary face said: yes of course and one more time he is very sorry for what he did last night. They brought a paper as a commitment letter to be singing by Zia as if he did this again, he will get more punishment. He singed that paper and the officer told me to aware all refugees to be careful about the regulations understand their conditions. After hearing those means we are fee and we can go home but late on another officer came close to us and asked Zia to move and go downstairs; I became happy thinking that we can go home but unfortunately not. It seems like another torture started. The officer guided Zia to the corner of back yard the building where there was a small jail I can say. I visited that isolated room before when some other refugees were locked there. I asked the officer why he takes him there. He screamed at me and said shout up, I lock him there to teach him not to break the low again. But he did not kill someone or steal something but only he was late and from last evening until now which is morning you kept us as prisoners and now we can go as your higher officer said I told him. He got upset to me and said: who are you? Do you want be in the jail with him?

I said I am the focal point and I was asked to come here to help you for translation and I did not commit any crime so why you would treat me like this?

He said: I do not care who you are and what have you done or not, if you stop me doing what I want, I will lock you too. Talking in very anger way. I was really disappointed and felt broken the way he was treating me.

I tried to make myself calm down and explained to him that the higher officer already allowed us to go home and also reminded us for not repeating this and being careful in the future to not do something wrong and we already promised him for that and we do apologize about last night and about now too and we demand you very kindly to let us go. I said so sorry to him and requested him a lot to let us go.

After long discussing or better to say disputing since his voice was louder that his words meaning. After almost 20 minutes, he made a verbal commitment from us again and finally told us go in a very arrogant way.

The time was showing 7:30 am. I called again the Bluebird Taxi agency to ordering a taxi for going to refugees’ accommodation.

There were many sad stories during staying in Surabaya city but not always. Even though this is city is my second home and I felt safer and comforts but still probably some people are not welcoming me/us meanwhile there a lot of lovely people who treat me as if I would be their brother.

Life continues as much as its difficulties but hope is never ending. Hope for good days and great memories ahead… Jun 2017, Surabaya, Indonesia