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Asylum seekers camped at basketball court
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Indonesian authorities collect information on asylum seekers on board a vessel. (The Jakarta Post/Hotli Simanjuntak)
F
ifty asylum seekers, mostly from Afghanistan and Somalia, have been camping on the basketball court of the Jakarta Immigration Detention Center, Kalideres, West Jakarta, since Sunday, as the center is not able to accommodate them on account of capacity issues.
The head of the detention center, Buono Adi sucipto, said the shelter had 83 rooms that could only accommodate 120 people.
“Currently we have 292 immigrants here,” Buono said, adding that the figure excluded the 50 people who were camping on the court.
Buono went on to explain that the center had accommodated 209 immigration violators and 83 asylum seekers and refugees, the latter of which were deemed illegal immigrants.
The needs of the illegal immigrants, including 50 people camped on the court, would be provided by volunteers and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he said.
Further, Buono said the detention center would communicate with the Law and Human Rights Ministry and the IOM regarding the camping asylum seekers.
Some of the asylum seekers previously camped in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
They were later urged to move to the detention center because their tents had blocked pedestrian traffic. (cal)
