Man protests against refusal of refugee status

A Libyan man who defines himself as a political asylum seeker yesterday spent a second day on the law court's steps in a one-man protest.

The man, who gave his name as Israel Salem Barka, walked in the heat carrying a handmade placard reading: "Neither Libyan nor Maltese secret services will be allowed to spoil my political asylum case. Deprivation of civil rights is a criminal action".

He explained that he arrived in Malta last December and had since applied for refugee status.

He is claiming he is victim of what he termed as ideological cleansing in Libya.

After attending an interview at the Refugees Commission, last month he received a letter informing him he was not eligible for refugee status.

The letter quoted excerpts of the interview and informed him about his right to appeal.

Mr Barka is protesting because he wants to see and approve the transcript of his interview before signing for it. Last week, he said, he received a letter from the Refugees Commission telling him he could not do this. Mr Barka wants to make sure the transcript contains what he really said.

When contacted, Refugees Commissioner Mario Friggieri, speaking in general terms, explained that when an asylum seeker went to pick up the notes of the interview a copy was given to him/her. The person would sign for the notes after picking them up and the procedure did not allow them to pick them up, view them, and then sign for them. This was done for practical reasons. Mr Friggieri explained that an asylum seeker would sign in order to certify s/he had received the transcripts and not to express agreement with the content.