Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter

Yudha Baskoro
July 16, 2019 | 11:10 pm
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Refugees and asylum seekers walk past a poster that local residents put up to protest against their new shelter in a housing estate in West Jakarta on Monday. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Refugees and asylum seekers walk past a poster that local residents put up to protest against their new shelter in a housing estate in West Jakarta on Monday. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)

Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers who had been camping out in protest in front of the UN Refugee Agency's office in Central Jakarta have been relocated to a new temporary shelter in Kalideres, West Jakarta. 

The men, women and children from Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Iran now occupy a disused military building in the Daan Mogot Baru residential complex.

However, local residents are up in arms about the refugees' presence. They have put up posters near the building to demand that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan find another place to move the 1,155 refugees, some of whom are still waiting to get into the new shelter.  

Many of the refugees still sleep in their tiny tents outside the building since there is no space left to accommodate them. There is little access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Some older refugees are forced to sleep on dirty mats and there is not enough food or medical facilities for children and babies. 

Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
Getting boxed lunches from a food tent managed by the Social Affairs Ministry on Monday. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
Refugee children share drinks from the same plastic pouch. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
Collecting drinking water from a water truck. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
A health officer examines a refugee child. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
Some of the refugees and asylum seekers still sleep in their tiny tents since there is not enough space inside the shelter. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
Inside, the refugees sleep on paper-thin mats. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
"Hey boss... refugees and immigrants are for the government and the UNHCR to take care of, not us," says the poster. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
A woman takes her son to a shared bathroom for a much-needed shower. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
This woman from Sudan is feeding her baby with formula milk distributed by the Social Affairs Ministry. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
Local Residents Up in Arms About Jakarta's New Refugee Shelter
"Dear Mr. Governor, this is a housing complex, not a shelter. There are many other places more appropriate [to house the refugees]," says another poster. (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)

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