Marathon Escapes
The Olympics and other prestigious international sporting events where winning pride in sport accomplishments leads the international community of countries to send their prize athletes abroad to compete for greatness that will reflect on their home countries offer other types of opportunities as well. If those athletes represent countries of the world that are socially, politically, economically depressed and/or backward, international meets such as the Olympics often present as valuable venues from which to escape oppression and squalor.While thousands of Olympians have returned with and without glory achieved to their home countries, over a dozen African competitors have failed to return. Some athletes representing impoverished or conflict-stricken nations, including Cameroon, Eritrea, Guinea and the Ivory Coast, disappeared from the athletes' village, in a mysterious vanishing act that isn't too mysterious at all, given the opportunity seized.
Athletes in attendance at the London Olympics may remain legally in Britain until November, respecting the terms of the visas issued to them. "I still very much love my country and it's the harsh conditions and lack of basic human rights which has compelled me to seek asylum", stated Eritrean steeplechase runner Weynay Ghebresilasie, 18. He finished tenth in his heat. The deteriorating political conditions at home led him to seek asylum.
Three of his fellow Eritrean team-mates, from a total delegation of a dozen, have similarly sought asylum, but are quiet about it, hoping not to draw attention to their relatives back home. Eritrea represented the top 10 countries of origin for people claiming asylum in the U.K. last year. And then there was Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iran, according to statistics released by the London-based charity Refugee Council.
Confirmation was received from the head of Ivory Coast's Olympic delegation that two swimmers and a wrestling coach had disappeared from their London quarters. Three athletes had also not returned to Guinea after the Olympics. And Cameroon's Olympic team asked for help to look for seven athletes who happened to vanish after their games were completed. Other missing athletes include a judo competitor and three others from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These missing athletes may overstay their visas, apply for refugee status, or return to their countries before the expiration of their visas. Britain is required to protect people who are capable of proof they are in need of shelter from conflict, as a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
"It's a tragic fact that many people competing in the Olympics come from countries around the world where they are at risk of human rights abuses, conflict and violence", said Donna Covey, Refugee Council's chief executive.
Labels: Africa, Britain, Conflict, Corruption, Crime, Human Rights, Immigration
posted by Pieface @ Friday, August 17, 2012
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