In Front Of The UNHCR Building Sami Story, Afghan Refugees In Jakarta Only Accept Promises

Demonstrators in front of the UNHCR Kebon Sirih Building, Central Jakarta. (Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI)

JAKARTA - Muhammad Sami, an Afghan citizen who demonstrated in front of the UNHCR Office, Jalan Kebon Sirih Raya, Menteng, Central Jakarta, asked for clarification on the status of those who are still refugees in Jakarta. Sami tells the sad story he experienced as a child under the shadow of the atrocities of the Taliban.

Sami, his nickname, is still lamenting his fate in front of the Jakarta UNHCR Office. His arrival at Jalan Kebon Sirih was only looking for a glimmer of hope for his future life.

"I was 3 years old, I left Afghanistan, because there was a war there. So we used to run from Afghanistan to Iran. We lived in Iran until there was a solution from Iran to Malaysia. I was in Malaysia for 5 years, my child was born in Iran and Malaysia. ," he said on Jalan Kebon Sirih, Menteng.

Sami admitted that he had lived in Jakarta for 9 years. He came with his mother, who is now dead.

"I came with my family. I came with my mother, illegally. In the past, there were 7 people using boats in 2013. But two years ago my mother died (in Jakarta)," he said.

Sami said that Afghanistan's political condition had not been good for a long time. The residents there, said Sami, were under stress

Sami, an immigrant from Afghanistan in front of the UNHCR building in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta. Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

"All stress, Afghanistan's conditions are not good. We want to ask Indonesia and other countries, all of them must help us," he said.

Sami arrived with his colleagues from various refugee locations in Indonesia to collect UNHCR's promise.

"We have been with UNHCR for a long time, they said how much longer we have to wait. We have been here for 7 years," he said.

Sami said that in his refugee camp there were about 1,000 refugees who had the same fate as him.

"We all came here saying we could go to Australia. But until here, look at all of it is a lie. So we live here. We are all from Afghanistan. Refugees are all over Jakarta, I don't know all of them. There were 80 people who came here (demo) percent of Afghan refugees," said Sami.