‘My whole body is finishing’
An Indian asylum seeker in Cork who is now (Thursday) in his eighth day of hunger strike has asked that, if he dies, his organs be given to Ireland.
Speaking from his bed, 35 year old Nadim Hussain told the Cork Independent that “Cork is his family” but he fears his hunger strike will take his life before the Irish Government acts.
Mr Hussain, who is of Muslim background, has been in Direct Provision in Cork for three years. He began his hunger strike last Thursday. His campaign is a last gasp attempt to be allowed to remain in the country after the International Protection Appeal Tribunal (IPAT) rejected his appeal to be recognised as a refugee.
Mr Hussain lost both of his parents to anti-Muslim violence in his home country in 2018 and says he fears for his life if he were to be deported back to India. He has provided extensive documentation and proof of his background and the nature of his parents’ death, however, he has been unable to provide written documentation from police in his country. Now unable to leave his bed, he says his body is shutting down and that his GP has warned him that his kidneys will be badly damaged in the coming days if the strike does not end.
“My body is spinning. I can't walk any anymore. My whole body is finishing,” he said. Mr Hussain’s hunger strike follows a protest outside Leinster House last week where he vowed to commence his campaign.
In an email seen by the Cork Independent, Mr Hussain was told by the Taoiseach’s Office on 22 September that the Taoiseach is pursuing the issue on his behalf with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) at the Department of Justice. He is yet to hear back from the Taoiseach’s office and is now pleading with the Department of Justice and Minister Heather Humphries to answer his call and save him from deportation.
“They are wasting their time and they're wasting my life also. If you go to the Minister of Justice and ask her, you know what she will say? ‘We don't comment on any individual cases.’. That is not an answer,” said Mr Hussain. He added: “The only answer that I want, the only one, but nobody is giving to me, is why is the Minister for Justice is not giving answers after two months? Is she not human? Is this a democratic country? Is this a human rights country?”
Speaking on behalf of Mr Hussain in the Dáil on Tuesday night, Solidarity TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry said anyone familiar with the question of anti-Muslim violence in India these days and the role of the State under Narendra Modi’s government, would not be surprised by the fact that police in the country would not provide Mr Hussain with the documentation he needs.
“Someone who is knowledgeable of the situation would say that Nadim being asked to clear an impossible hurdle,” he said.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, international human rights law obligates countries to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that states must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.
The Cork Independent contacted the Department of Justice and the office of An Taoiseach for response, however, none was received by time of going to print.