33 Afghan men begin hunger strike

A group of 33 Afghan men began a hunger strike in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin yesterday to put pressure on the Minister for Justice to grant them refugee status.

The men, who are aged between 16 and 45, have been living in different parts of Ireland for between one and five years. All are seeking leave to remain in the State, and claim their action was precipitated by several of their applications for refugee status being turned down recently by the Office of the Refugee Appeals Commissioner.

The men took up positions in the transept of the Cathedral yesterday morning and remained there last night. The building, which is usually open to the public on Sunday, was closed for most of the day. Though its management assured the protesters that they would not be removed, garda supervision was requested "for insurance purposes", the men were told.

One of the hunger strikers, Sultan Kabirchakari, a blind man who has been living in Cork for several years, said the men wanted to draw attention to "the injustice of the Department of Justice".

"We haven't got our rights. Our cases didn't get full attention, and the current situation in Afghanistan is well known. We have been suffering these problems for the past three years," he said. "We are committed to stay here to die [ unless] we are allowed to stay."

Mr Kabirchakari said "human compassion" should prevent their deportation to Afghanistan, which they fled due to war and civil strife.

"It is not our intention to hurt anybody. We are just peace-loving people, and we have great respect for holy places."

Another of the hunger strikers, Osman Hotak, referred to the Government's campaign on behalf of Irish citizens living illegally in the US. "We want people to know that we are in worse circumstances than them. We have been mental prisoners for years . . . All of us will die unless we are allowed to stay. We are willing to end our life."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice told The Irish Times the Minister "is satisfied that the statutory procedures in place ensure that all asylum applications are dealt with in a comprehensive and fair manner."

Green Party Justice Spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe said the Minister should meet with the men. "These men are desperate. They have fled a war-torn country and are concerned that their lives will be in danger if they return. Minister McDowell should at least meet with the group and listen to their concerns."