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Refugees in limbo after eviction notice from Jakarta administration
Around 100 refugees staying at an empty building formerly occupied by the West Jakarta Military Command (Kodim) face further uncertainty as the Jakarta administration has reportedly issued an eviction notice stating that the government is planning to renovate and utilize the facility.
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A portrait of Sahafira Ahklaqi (40), an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, after being interviewed at a refugee camp at the former Military District Command (Kodim) in Kalideres, West Jakarta, on Aug. 15, 2024. (JP/Muhammad Zaenuddin)
I
t has been five years since some 100 refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, called the dilapidated green building on Jl. Bedugul 20, Kalideres, West Jakarta, a home.
They moved to the empty building, which was formerly occupied by the West Jakarta Military Command (Kodim), along with hundreds of refugees from other countries in 2019, following public protests over their encampments on the sidewalks across the capital city.
A month later, most of the refugees were offered to move to rented houses spread across the country by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but some decided to refuse the offer.
In five years, the remaining refugees have built makeshift rooms with tarps and tents inside the abandoned building, fixed electricity and water systems, constructed two permanent toilets and set up a small classroom for the 20 children living there.
They survive on sporadic donations and financial help from family members in their war-torn home countries while waiting for resettlement to a third country.
Recently, they have faced more uncertainty as the Jakarta administration has reportedly issued an eviction notice, stating that the government is planning to renovate and utilize the former Kodim building.
The building must be emptied by Aug. 15, said the notice. The refugees, however, remained there as they did not know where else to go.
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