Papuan refugees have returned home but are living with little financial support, they say.
“We returned, living with relatives, but then we had to move to another relative’s home in Kotaraja last month. We want to stop moving from one place to the other,” said Hein Fere, 65, grandfather of 12 grandchildren, one of 300 Papuan refugees who arrived in Jayapura on Nov. 22, last year.
The Indonesian government last year took home a total of 708 Papuans, who fled their restive province in the wake of unstable political situation.
“We’re happy to return to Papua, but we don’t have places to live. We appeal to the government to pay serious attention to this issue,” he said.
Besides lacking housing, refugees are also financially disadvantaged.
Fere, however, has been hired as a driver at the Papua New Guinea (PNG) consulate office in Jayapura earning a monthly salary of Rp 1,300,000 (US$130).
“The high cost of living is an issue. I asked for the PNG consulate to hire me as a driver, but I am concerned about people who are not as fortunate to have secured a job. They also become a burden for families hosting them,” said Fere.
Of the 300 Papuan refugees, 60 have been placed in Jayapura, including Fere.
“Refugees end up moving from one place to another due to economic hardships.
“If the family we are living with can no longer provide us with food, we will move to another family,” Fere said.
He said he intended to return to PNG, but were hampered by immigration procedures.
“The PNG consulate said it was difficult for them to go back to PNG because the moment they left PNG their citizenship status changed. If they wish to return to PNG now, they must own a border crossing permit, which is difficult to attain,” he said.
Papua Border Agency head Salmon Itaar said that many Papuans faced the same problems as PNG refugees, saying that was why refugees were not given privileges.
“The government will not only provide homes for refugees, but everyone,” said Itaar.
