Nathan (7 years old) was born at Stord hospital, Hordaland Norway in May 2005.
He lives with his parents in Ytre Arna, Bergen and goes to school. His parents are from Ethiopia.
His father Asfaw Eshete came to Norway in 2001. Two years later his wife arrived to Norway. In 2003, two years before Nathan was born they got a final abatement on their request for asylum. Since then their supporters have sent several request to change decision to UNE without any luck.
May, 16th 2012 they gonna be sent out of the country.
The family doesn’t want to return voluntarily. Asfaw Eshete thinks he risks persecution and prison in Ethiopia since he’s been political active. But still the family will be sent back…
Paperless children: Nathan has walk in the May, 17th procession, the procession on the National day, children’s day as its called in Norway, since he was two years old. This year the Norwegian authorities wants the send him out of the country the day before National day.
His father Asfaw tells the Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen that Nathan had hoped to be staying in Norway because the authorities looked at their case one more time. It’s difficult for Nathan to understand why he has to leave. It’s difficult for his parents to explain why. Nathan has never been in Ethiopia.
Nathan Eshete is maybe the most known of the 450 paperless children who have lived in Norwegian asylum-seekers’ hostels for several years.
Dagsavisen has several times written about the family and their fight to stay in Norway.
His father tells that Nathan wonders why he has to leave. He asked why the authorities send him out when he’s Norwegian, has friends and doesn’t know anything about Ethiopia.
In Ytre Arna the abatement arouses enrage. Neighbour and mother to Nathans best friend, Aina Heldal Bøe that the families supporters are angry and disappointed about the decision. She says that since the deportation was delayed all hoped the authorities would do a new and detailed asylum procedure and wait for the government report “Children on the run” this summer.
Today the Norwegian law says that the children’s best has to be considered and immigration corrective references can be considered.
“UNE means he hasn’t got a strong enough bonds to Norway. They mean immigration corrective references has to be considered the strongest. But he is born here. He went to kinder garden and know he goes to school. There’s no way to have stronger bonds” says Helddal Bøe.
Advisor in the Norwegian organisation for asylum seekers (Noas) Jon Ole Martinsen is disappointed about the decision because both the time and the justification. “You should wait with this cases until there is adjustment from the government in the governments report. We think the evaluation doesn’t consist with the reality”
(…)
The known poet Jan Erik Vold wrote a poem for Nathan:
Basic grammar
To return
means: to send
back. To return a package means
to send the package
back to where
it came
from. To return a human being means to send
the person in question back
to the country this person
came from. Nathan Eshete, 7 years old, born at
Stord, has never
been in Ethiopia. To send
Nathan out of Norway
isn’t to
return
This is: to deport
More to come… unfortunately…
Source: Dagsavisen May, 5th 2012 and May, 7th 2012
Related articles
- 450 refuge-children to be send out of Norway (annylanger.wordpress.com)
- Cry Norway CRY ! (annylanger.wordpress.com)
- Norway-born immigrants’ destiny uncertain (ethioandinet.wordpress.com)
- Ethiopia-Norway agreement on voluntary return of asylum seekers (danielberhane.wordpress.com)
- Norway to deport over 400 refugees back to Ethiopia (ethioandinet.wordpress.com)
Since I showed you the almost finished drawing last week here you’ve got the finished one.
