UUI, Alm.del - 2012-13 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 234: Spm. om situationen for flygtninge i Syrien, der tilhører Det Mandæiske Trossamfund, til justitsministeren

Spørgsmål nr. 234 (Alm.del) fra Folketingets Udvalg for Udlændinge-og Integrationspolitik:”Ministeren bedes redegøre for situationen for flygtninge i Sy-rien, der tilhører Det Mandæiske Trossamfund, herunder øn-skes en vurdering af de forfølgelser, som dette trossamfund erudsat for i og omkring Syrien. Endelig bedes ministeren rede-gøre for, hvad der gøres fra det internationale samfunds sidefor at beskytte denne minoritet. Spørgsmålet stilles bl.a. påbaggrund af UUI alm. del – bilag 41 og 62.”Svar:1.Justitsministeriet har indhentet et bidrag fra Udlændingestyrelsen om fo-religgende baggrundsoplysninger vedrørende det mandæiske trossamfund.Se vedlagte bilag A.2.Justitsministeriet har endvidere hørt FN’s Flygtningehøjkommissariat(UNHCR) vedrørende genbosætning af mandæiske flygtninge, der ophol-der sig i Syrien. UNHCR har oplyst, at der aktuelt er registreret 71.000flygtninge hos UNHCR i Syrien. 63.500 af disse er af irakisk herkomst.Aktuelt befinder der sig i Syrien ca. 2.200 mandæiske flygtninge.UNHCR har desuden oplyst, at andelen af tvangsfordrevne blandt irakiskereligiøse mindretal er væsentlig højere end blandt den irakiske befolkningsom helhed. Således tilhører ca. 20 pct. af alle registrerede irakiske flygt-ninge i regionen et religiøst mindretal.Derudover har UNHCR bl.a. oplyst, at UNHCR – siden iværksættelsen afen omfattende genbosætningsindsats i 2007 i forhold til irakiske flygtninge– har været særligt opmærksom på de mandæiske flygtninges beskyttel-sesbehov og fortsat er det. Dette har resulteret i, at irakiske mindretal, her-under mandæere, udgør en relativt høj procentdel af de flygtninge, der erblevet genbosat fra den mellemøstlige region, inklusive Syrien, til tredje-lande. Omkring to tredjedele af det samlede antal af mandæiske flygtninge,som UNHCR har registreret gennem de sidste fire år, er blevet forelagt forlande, der modtager kvoteflygtninge som led i et genbosætningsprogram.Mandæiske flygtninge udgør over 6 pct. af alle de irakiske flygtninge, derer blevet genbosat fra den mellemøstlige region, særligt fra Syrien – hvor-imod de kun udgør 2,4 pct. af det samlede antal registrerede irakiske flygt-ninge i regionen. Siden iværksættelsen af genbosætningsprogrammet i2007, har UNHCR forelagt over 62.000 irakiske flygtninge, inklusive reli-2

giøse mindretal, for lande, der modtager kvoteflygtninge, med henblik pågenbosætning ud af Syrien.3.Justitsministeriet kan desuden henvise til besvarelsen af udvalgetsspørgsmål nr. 241 (alm. del) for så vidt angår genbosætning i Danmark afpersoner tilhørende trossamfundet Den Mandæiske Mandea.4.Justitsministeriet kan endelig oplyse, at EU-Kommissionen blandt andetpå baggrund af et udtrykkeligt ønske fra ministrene for retlige og indre an-liggender i EU har oplyst at ville udvikle et omfattende regionalt programfor udvikling og beskyttelse i Mellemøsten indenfor rammerne af EU’ssamlede migrations- og mobilitetsstrategi (GAMM) i samarbejde med re-levante internationale partnere. Dette forventes implementeret gennem etprogram under dansk ledelse og med supplerende bidrag fra bl.a. Neder-landene. Indsatserne vil blive gennemført af FN-organisationer, NGO’erog andre udviklingsaktører.5.Aktuelt har det internationale samfund fortsat et omfattende fokus påden humanitære indsats i relation til krisen i Syrien, som fortsat forværres.Den danske humanitære bistand i relation til krisen i Syrien har i 2012 ogfrem til 18. marts 2013 udgjort knap 225 millioner danske kroner.

Bilag A. Udlændingestyrelsens Landedokumentation har per den 21.februar 2013 oplyst følgende om baggrundsoplysninger vedrørendedet mandæiske trossamfund:”Landedokumentation i Udlændingestyrelsen har i forbindelse med en factfinding mission til Erbil og Sulaymaniyah i Nordirak (KRI) og til Amman,Jordan i 2009 blandt andet indhentet oplysninger om situationen for detmandæiske mindretal i Irak. Af Udlændingestyrelsens fact finding rapportfra 20091fremgår følgende oplysninger [påengelsk: Sabean Mandaeans](p. 35):“The international organisation (B) in Amman stated that theUS Department of State has reported that the total number ofSabean-Mandeans has now been reduced to between 3,500and 5,000 compared to an original population of 30,000. Thereason for the vulnerability of this particular group is its lackof tribal network, and the fact that they live scattered. In 2007and beginning of 2008 there were an increased number of at-tacks, including kidnappings. It was added that Sabean-Mandeans are still targeted in Missan, Basra and Baghdad.The perpetrators are both insurgents and criminal gangs. Thegangs might exploit the present situation and might exploit thatthe Sabean-Mandeans are a minority group. The internationalorganisation (B) in Amman added that the Sabean-Mandeansare perceived to be wealthy and this is one reason for thisgroup to be targeted by criminal groups.”Derudover har Landedokumentation søgt baggrundsoplysninger om man-dæere i de tilgængelige kilder.UNHCR oplyser i en statistisk rapport fra november 2011, at der blandt177.376 registrerede UNHCR flygtninge fra Irak er et mandæisk mindretalpå i alt 4.489 svarende til2.5%,heraf 3.974 i Syrien (2 i Iran, 462 i Jordan,18 i Libanon, 31 i Tyrkiet og 2 i GCC-lande.)2

Security and Human Rights Issues in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), andSouth/Central Iraq (S/C Iraq)Report from the Danish Immigration Service´s (DIS), theDanish Refugee Council´s (DRC) and Landinfo’s joint fact finding mission to Erbil andSulaymaniyah, KRI; and Amman, Jordan 6 to 23 March 2009http://www.nyidanmark.dk/NR/rdonlyres/5EAE4A3C-B13E-4D7F-99D6-8F62EA3B2888/0/Iraqreport09FINAL.pdf2Statistical Report on UNHCR Registered Iraqis and Non-Iraqis, Iraq, Egypt, Iran, Jor-dan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and the GCC countries,30 November 2011.http://www.iauiraq.org/documents/1590/November%202011%20Statistical%20Report%20on%20UNHCR%20Registered.pdf4

Den amerikanske årsrapport fra ”Commission on International ReligiousFreedom” (USCIRF)3oplyser følgende om det mandæiske mindretal iIrak:“Sabean Mandaeans and Yazidis also have reported signifi-cant decreases in their populations. Mandaeans report thatalmost 90 percent of their small community either has fled Iraqor been killed, leaving some 3,500 to 5,000 Mandaeans in thecountry, compared to 50,000 to 60,000 in 2003. The Man-daean Associations Union and Mandaean leaders, refugees,and asylum seekers have told USCIRF that they do not see anyfuture for Mandaeans in Iraq and have asked that the group becollectively resettled to a third country so that their religion,language, and culture can survive. The Yazidi community re-portedly numbers approximately 500,000, down from about700,000 in 2005. The Mandaean and Yazidi communities areparticularly vulnerable because a person must be born intothese religions, not convert or marry into them, and they donot proselytize or seek new adherents. Additionally, Man-daeans, followers of John the Baptist, are prohibited undertheir religion from using weapons and therefore cannot and donot defend themselves.”En rapport fra Minority Rights Group International fra 2010 oplyser ommandæere4:“The Sabian Mandaean religion is one of the oldest survivingGnostic religions in the world, dating back to the Mesopota-mian civilization. John the Baptist became its central prophet,and access to naturally flowing water remains essential for thepractice of the faith. It is thought that there are around60,000–70,000 Sabian Mandaeans worldwide, many of whomlived in Iraq prior to 2003. Sectarian violence and politicalstrife have placed Sabian Mandaeans in Iraq in jeopardy, forc-ing many of them to flee to Jordan, Syria and elsewhere. Ac-cording to the Mandaean Human Rights Group (MHRG), it in-vestigated 22 murders, 13 kidnappings and 29 attacks fromMarch 2008 until September 2009.- It was also noted thatsome killings were not for money or ransom but to terrorizethe families. A substantial number of the victims were womenand children. In many cases, the families were forced to sell3

everything to pay off the ransom. Many received threats toleave the country or else be killed. Despite the ransom beingpaid, in some cases the killings were nevertheless carried out.Many became displaced when it was too dangerous for them toflee the country. Today it is believed that there are around5,000 Sabian Mandaeans left in Iraq.- Since marriage outsidethe community is akin to renouncing their culture, the likelih-ood of Sabian Mandaean eradication from Iraq seems veryreal.”Af en rapport fra Human Rights Watch fra februar 20115fremgår følgendeoplysninger:“Since 2003, Sabian leaders estimate that scores of theircommunity have perished, and they complained that there havebeen virtually no prosecutions for the murders. They said theyhave been targeted for a variety of reasons including their re-ligion, their perceived wealth (many work as goldsmiths), andtheir inability to protect themselves without a militia of theirown. Because their elders traditionally wear long beards, theyhave been attacked by Shia militants who have mistaken themfor strictly observant Sunni Arabs (as many of the latter alsogrow long beards).”Af UNHCR’s Guidelines fra april 20096fremgår følgende om mandæernessitution i Irak:“The situation of the remaining 3,500-5,000 Sabaean-Mandaeans- in Iraq remains of serious concern as they continue to be singledout by Sunni and Shi’ite extremists as well as criminals on thebasis of their religion, profession and (perceived) wealth- In var-ious religious edicts published on the internet, they have been de-nounced as “non-believers” who should be exterminated-- Thefact that Mandaeans generally have no tribal networks and livescattered in small groups, further increases their vulnerability.--In addition, non-violence is a basic tenet of their religion.- Ac-cording to the Mandaean Human Rights Group (MHRG), therehas been an increase in the number of attacks committed againstmembers of the community in 2007 and early 2008.-It accountedfor 42 killings, 46 kidnappings, ten reported threats and 21 otherattacks perpetrated between January 2007 and February 2008,many of them involving women and children. - Among those that5

were kidnapped for ransom, several were reportedly killed or re-mained missing despite ransom payments - It was also reportedthat Islamic extremists threatened, kidnapped and killed Man-daeans for refusing to convert to Islam - For example, on 8 Sep-tember 2008, a group of men used guns with silencers to shootthree Mandaeans in their family jewelry store in a busy market inAl-Sha’ab District of Baghdad. Two brothers and an eight-yearold boy were killed with multiple shots to their heads and chests;the store was reportedly looted.- In February 2008, ten membersof a Mandaean family, including several children, died in a tar-geted rocket attack on their house in Kut (Wassit). Reportedly,they had previously received threats from Islamists- MHRG alsoreported about economic discrimination endured by members ofthe community, including refusal of employment on account oftheir religion.”

Situationen i SyrienAf FN’s nyhedsmail, IRIN News, fra september 20107, fremgår følgendeoplysninger om mandæernes situation i Syrien:“Among the estimated 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria areseveral thousand Mandaeans, a small religious minority on theverge of extinction in Iraq, and lacking support in Syria. Sev-eral organizations, including the Mandaean Society in Syriaand the Spiritual Mandaean Council in Baghdad, have unitedto assist refugees coming from Iraq by organizing accommoda-tion and support groups for widowed women, but because theirnumbers are small, Mandaeans as a community are particular-ly vulnerable. Support in Syria has been difficult to obtain, ei-ther from the Syrian authorities, or from religious organiza-tions, said the Mandaean Associations Union. Some sourcessay there are 60,000-70,000 Mandaeans worldwide. They ori-ginated from Iraq and revere, among others, John the Baptist.Like many Iraqi refugees they are facing difficult times finan-cially. “Divorce among Mandaeans in Damascus is on the risebecause people can’t get jobs and are running out of money.Over the past three years many have been forced to return toIraq as their savings have dried up,” said Suhair, a Mandaeanand former project coordinator for the US Agency for Interna-tional Development in Baghdad. Once prominent goldsmiths,lawyers and doctors in Iraq, Mandaeans continue to be kid-napped, forced to convert to Islam or to leave the country, ac-cording to the Mandaean Human Rights Group in Damascus.”Det har ikke været muligt at finde nyere baggrundsoplysninger om man-dæernes situation i Syrien.”7