An Afghan immigrant has been waiting in Indonesia for seven years to be resettled in a third country. But his waiting turn is not ending. He protested by setting himself on fire on Tuesday. A local refugee coordinator was quoted by AFP as saying on Wednesday.
Several parts of the person’s body were burnt. He is now being treated at the hospital.
Muhammad Zuma, the refugee coordinator, said a number of Afghan refugees had started protesting in front of the UN refugee agency’s office on the island of Sumatra. That person took part in it. He set himself on fire during the protests.
Thousands of refugees are stranded in Indonesia. Half from Afghanistan. They are waiting for rehabilitation in a third country. Meanwhile, the country’s government is not allowing these refugees to work legally in the country. The refugees protested angrily.
The man who set the body on fire has been in Indonesia since 2016, said Muhammad Juma, a local refugee coordinator.
Zuma said at least 14 Afghan refugees had committed suicide in recent years. In addition, six others tried to commit suicide. He called on the Indonesian government and the United Nations to take further steps to alleviate their suffering.
Mitra Salima, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the agency was closely monitoring the situation.
