BRIAN GARDNER spoke to Chair of the Algerian Refugee Council, about the political situation in Algeria and the Asylum Bill. TEN YEARS ago Mohammed Sekkoum earned a good living in Algeria as a vet. That was before he uncovered a massive BSE-type scandal, involving cattle imported from Germany and wrote about it in a national newspaper.
He was Imprisoned and then sent to a psychiatric hospital. The government told people not to listen to him as he was mad. Eventually he managed to escape He belleves the Algerian govemment are threatened by the work he is doing on behalf of other refugees. "For them It Is a shame", that so many are flee. ing, and it clashes with the image of stability that they wish to He refers to the Algerian em. bassy as having a "first list" of people they wish to eliminate.
Two years ago, he was attacked in his home.
The political situatiolin Algeria is complex. In the first round of elections in December 1991 the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), won a massive majority. The military stepped in, outlawed the FIS and Imprisoned. its leaders Since then the country has been extremely volatile. Islamic fundamentalist groups have car. ried out executions of people who fall to obey the law of the Koran. The GIA Is usually singled out as responsible.
Mohammed Sekkoum beleves that many of the killings were carried out, not by the GIA, but by government agents posing as GIA. The military regime uses the cam. paign of violence to justify its own existence.
Asked about the current relationship of France and Algeria Mohammed commented ironically "Algeria is Francel, After the independence, they used to tell us that Huriya-freedomwill come one day, but it never did." Even Algerians of the third generation are not accepted in France he sald. There is therefore little chance for new arri vals, and many Algerian refugees prefer to live in Britain. "When Jacques Chirac visited John Major he gave him a present of a two-billion dollar oil "In London, Chirac gave Major a two billion dollar oll contract in Algeria for BP. Two days later, they started arresting Algerians here, linking them to the bombings in France."
contract in Algeria for British Petroleum. Two days later, they started arresting Algerians here, linking them to the bombings in France." People leave Algeria for differ. ent reasons. Some Islamicists flee from government persecuMahammed Stilkoum, Chair of the Algerian Refugee Council, standing tion, while others were are trying to escape from persecution by Islamicists.
I suggested that it is difficult to represent all of these people at the same time? "We don't take into account that you are from that Hoe or the other side or which party you are from. There are however some peo. ple working closely with the embassy. Infiltration is a possibllity."
The British government's Asylum Bill redefines refugee status. Although those fleeing from the violence of the state may be given a hearing, those fleeing from persecution by Is. lamic fundamentalists or opposi tion groups will not be considered. Algeria is Included In a "white list" of countries deemed to be safe.
For Mohammed Sekkoum, the latest asylum legislation is part of a Europe-wide initiative on refugees. "They are trying to close the borders, to close Europe, and leave us in the back garden."
Being a vet Mohammed uses the metaphor of his country as a "z0o", where Europeans can go to look at the inhabitants, but the occupants are not al. lowed out of their cages.