The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre on Friday to decide within two days on shifting Afghan nationals protesting outside the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to a designated place while strictly adhering to Covid-19 protocols.
The Bench headed by Justice Rekha Palli was hearing a plea filed by the Vasant Vihar Welfare Association against the gathering of Afghan nationals (refugees/asylum seekers) outside the UNHCR office building. The Bench, while refraining to pass any adverse orders in the matter at the moment, directed the Government to take requisite steps before the next date, failing which the Court will be constrained to pass appropriate orders.
The Delhi Police contended that no permission has been granted by it to Afghan nationals protesting outside the UNHCR office. It was submitted that no brute force was used by police to remove these persons as it is a sensitive issue and likely to have international ramifications.
Central Government Standing Counsel Ajay Digpaul submitted that these protesters are not there by choice, but due to certain compulsion. “We all have to understand the pain of these refugees. The petitioners also must understand that,” he said. In this light, he sought for time to decide how the issue can be resolved at the earliest. The Bench slated the matter for September 7.
The Bench had earlier expressed concern over the large gathering of foreign nationals outside the UNHCR office and while issuing notice, said that the protest should not result in a super spreader event of coronavirus.
The present plea has been filed by Vasant Vihar Welfare Association sought directions to the Centre, Delhi Police Commissioner, Delhi Government and South Delhi Municipal Corporation to take note of the foreign nationals (refugees/asylum seekers) who have started gathering, squatting and dwelling in temporary structures outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (hereinafter also referred to as ‘UNHCR’) at B Block, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi including lanes and parks adjoining it and remove the aforementioned individuals from the locality by settling them in appropriate dwellings or camps.
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The grievance of the petitioner association is that the squatting and dwelling of a large number of asylum seekers and foreign nationals in common spaces of the locality,is causing hindrance in their enjoyment of the common spaces of the locality, and is also creating a possibility of the spread of coronavirus as there is no mechanism for ensuring that proper Covid-19 protocol is observed by the said individuals who probably are not even vaccinated.