Action alert: Algerian gay man facing deportation from France

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Source: Ardhis

[Google translation]

Update, 22 November:

Rafik is free despite the relentless prefectural

After the maximum of 32 days retention, Rafik was placed in custody Wednesday, November 17 in the morning by the prefectural authorities who considered that he had twice prevented the procedure repeated. The prosecutor has presented in court Thursday afternoon in immediate appearance. It emerged free of the hearing, the judge who acquitted the corrections of the first obstruction, and, for the second, which gave him an appointment June 30, 2011 to decide his sentence in light of its evolving administrative situation.

Exhausted physically and morally, and Rafik Amine, his companion, returned to their Paris home.

Rafik should file as soon as possible before the National Court of asylum proceedings for annulment of the rejection of his asylum application by the Office for Refugees, and apply to the Commissioner of Police for the repeal of his deportation order to seek a residence in Algeria as "seniority, stability and intensity" of his relationship with Amin. The Ardhis continue to support and Rafik Amine in their efforts.

Our association welcomes the commitment of its activists for more than three weeks to help Rafik. It also welcomes the voluntary commitment of ordinary citizens, activists and other associations, or of local, national and European. Indeed, this is clearly working activist who has been critical to put an end to the state of deprivation of liberty in which Rafik was fact.

We must now mobilize wider so that the law changes and such eagerness are no longer possible.

Contacts:
Marc: marc@ardhis.org
Florence: ostier@noos.fr

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Rafik (1) arrived in France in December 2009 after fleeing Algeria. Civil protection officer was on the coast, he met Amin in 2006 (1), a French citizen, with whom he formed a relationship.

Amine found him there several times a year while on holiday in Algeria. Their relationship, though illegal, raises rumors. The Algeria criminalizes homosexuality, although arrests are rare, homophobia is thereby encouraged, often leading to acts of persecution against homosexuals. In September 2007, Rafik is physically assaulted, who incurs injury to the face and neck. From this episode, the social life of Rafik was reduced as a trickle because he felt perpetually threatened. This situation then decided to leave Algeria at all costs. In September 2009, he embarked on a tub and manages to reach Europe. He finds Amine in Paris, the only person from whom he wants to build his life today.

Since late 2009, Rafik Amine and therefore live as a couple in Paris and want to unite their lives permanently. The couple, who planned to end PACS 2010, waiting to testify a year of living together to demand the regularization of administrative Rafik with the support of the association Ardhis.

Rafiq was arrested at a police checkpoint in Paris on October 17. The prefecture reported a APRF him and ordered his placement in a detention center in Vincennes where he is from. Through lack of remedies in detention, without an interpreter and legal assistance, he could not challenge the removal order in a timely manner before the administrative court. As for the claim that he was able to formulate an emergency, it was rejected in first instance by OFPRA. At this stage all legal avenues are exhausted standstill and a flight is scheduled Nov. 16 to extend current in Algeria.

• Rafik wants to file an appeal with the Court of National Right to Asylum in order to assert its new fears
• Rafik Amin wants to live with in France, a land that protects
• Rafik can not return to a country where he feels threatened

(1) borrowing Forenames

We urge you to show your support for Rafik seeking the Prefect of Paris Police: see sample letter below or view and edit online.

Contact the Prefect of Police to send your letter:

• Fax: 01 53 71 67 23 + email: prefpol.dpg-foreign-secretariat @ interieur.gouv.fr

Attention of the Prefect of Police

Mr. Prefect

I would like to draw your kind attention on the situation of a young homosexual Algerian currently detained in administrative detention center (ARC) of Vincennes.

Rafik (1) arrived in France in December 2009 after fleeing Algeria. Civil protection officer was on the coast, he met Amin in 2006 (1), a French citizen, with whom he formed a relationship.

Amine found him there several times a year, while on holiday in Algeria. Their relationship, though illegal, raises rumors. The Algeria criminalizes homosexuality, although arrests are rare, homophobia is thereby encouraged, often leading to acts of persecution against homosexuals. In September 2007 Rafik is physically assaulted, who incurs injury to the face and neck. From this episode, the social life of Rafik was reduced as a trickle because he felt perpetually threatened. This situation then decided to leave Algeria at all costs. In September 2009, he embarked on a tub and manages to reach Europe. He finds Amine in Paris, the only person from whom he wants to build his life today.

Since late 2009, Rafik Amine and therefore live as a couple in Paris and want to unite their lives permanently. The couple, who planned to end PACS 2010, waiting to testify a year of living together to demand the regularization of administrative Rafik with the support of the association Ardhis.

Rafiq was arrested at a police checkpoint in Paris on October 17. Your services have reported a APRF him and ordered his placement in a detention center in Vincennes where he is from. Through lack of remedies in detention, without an interpreter and legal assistance, he could not challenge the removal order in a timely manner before the administrative court. As for the claim that he was able to formulate an emergency, it was rejected in first instance by OFPRA. At this stage all legal avenues are exhausted standstill and a flight is scheduled Nov. 16 to extend current in Algeria.

• Rafik wants to file an appeal with the Court of National Right to Asylum in order to assert its new fears
• Rafik Amin wants to live with in France, a land that protects
• Rafik can not return to a country where he feels threatened

For all these reasons, the name of human rights and on behalf of the right to privacy and family, I ask you, Mr. Commissioner of Police, to kindly make his liberty Rafik abandoning a deportation, scheduled, seems inevitable, and give instructions so that APRF taken against Rafik be revoked and that he be granted a temporary residence permit to enable it to conduct its review procedure serenely from the CNDA.

Please accept, Mr. Commissioner of Police, the expression of my distinguished salutations (s),

Organization (if applicable), Name, Surname

Signature

(1) borrowing Forenames