Poročilo Varuha človekovih pravic Republike Slovenije o izvajanju nalog državnega preventivnega mehanizma za leto 2011 Obisk Azilnega doma in Centra za tujce V letu 2011 smo obiskali tudi Azilni dom (12. 10. 2011) in Center za tujce (18. 11. 2011). Oba sta objekta Ministrstva za notranje zadeve, pri čemer je prvi namenjen predvsem nastanitvi prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito, drugi pa tujcev, ki so nezakonito v Republiki Sloveniji. Podrobnosti v zvezi z vsakim od njiju so zapisane v poročilih o obisku, objavljenih na uradni spletni strani Varuha, v nadaljevanju pa za potrebe tega poročila opisujemo le najpomembnejše ugotovitve. Oba objekta imata bistveno večje uradne zmogljivosti, kot pa je (že več let) v njiju nastanjenih oseb. To je seveda spodbudno. Tudi bivalne razmere v obeh so bile še sprejemljive, in osebe, s katerimi smo se pogovorili, bivalnih razmer niso problematizirale. Nekaj inventarja oziroma opreme bivalnih prostorov sicer kaže na to, da bo prej ali slej potrebna zamenjava. Ker so v obeh zavodih nastanjeni posamezniki, ki večinoma prihajajo iz zelo različnih, nemalokrat tudi zelo (geografsko, pa tudi sicer) oddaljenih držav oziroma kultur, ne preseneča, da so bile pritožbe čez (pre)hrano zelo pogoste. DPM meni, da če ob izpolnjenih sanitarnih standardih kalorična vrednost obrokov dosega predpisano vrednost in hkrati zadošča tudi morebitnim posebnim zdravstvenim ali verskim potrebam prosilcev, take prehrane ni mogoče označiti drugače kot za ustrezno. Vseeno smo tudi na tem področju lahko izpostavili nekaj smiselnih pripomb. V Azilnem domu smo na primer posebej poudarili mnenje naše izvedenke, da gre pri ponavljajočem se nezadovoljstvu s hrano »za simptom, in ne za bolezen«. Za te osebe ima hrana poseben, simboličen pomen – to je v njihovem trenutnem položaju lahko edino področje, ki ga (ali bi ga lahko) obvladujejo, saj je vse drugo precej negotovo. Poleg tega je njihova domača hrana nekaj, kar jih povezuje z domovino. Na drugi strani pa je to »varno področje«, kjer lahko izražajo nezadovoljstvo z državo gostiteljico. Tako prav ukvarjanje s hrano na dokaj varen način omogoča zadovoljevanje osnovnih psiholoških potreb (uveljavljanje, moč, pripadnost, svoboda), ki so v njihovem trenutnem položaju večinoma zelo slabo zadovoljene. V Centru za tujce smo na primer tudi tokrat predlagali, da poskrbi za prevode jedilnikov v tujcem razumljive jezike, saj samo v slovenskem niso uporabni. Druga najpogostejša tema pritožb tujcev oziroma prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito se je nanašala na postopke, ki so jih zadevali. Poleg nepoznavanja prava so izstopali predvsem njihovi očitki na račun dolgotrajnosti postopkov. Gre za zelo zapleteno problematiko, kjer se morebitni očitki o ne zadosti hitrem (po)teku lahko hitro izkažejo za neupravičene, saj je vselej treba upoštevati posebnosti posameznega primera in ne prehitro posploševati. Pozabiti tudi ne gre, da je že po sami naravi stvari to zelo posebno področje, ki ga zaznamujejo komunikacijske ovire, nezadovoljivo sodelovanje stranke in podobno. Okoliščin, ki bi kazale na to, da bi se s temi postopki namerno zavlačevalo, nismo ugotovili. Smo pa v Azilnem domu izpostavili, da bi se lahko postopek skrajšal, če izvedencem za izdelavo psihiatričnih oziroma psiholoških izvedenskih mnenj (da se ugotovi, ali je prosilec za mednarodno zaščito sploh sposoben zaslišanja) ne bi dovolili roka za opravo izvedenskega dela v 60 dneh. V Centru za tujce smo posebej preverili, kako je urejeno informiranje tujcev, kar ima v tem okviru nedvomno pomembno vlogo. V zvezi z informiranjem pomanjkljivosti nismo ugotovili, saj je poleg ustnega informiranja strokovnih delavcev centra omogočeno tudi pisno informiranje z zloženkami, možnost telefonskih klicev tudi na diplomatsko-konzularno predstavništvo in na organizacije, na katere se lahko tujci obrnejo po nasvet oziroma pomoč, možnost pridobivanja informacij po svetovnem spletu ...). 54 Državni preventivni mehanizem v Republiki Sloveniji po Opcijskem protokolu h Konvenciji OZN proti mučenju in drugim krutim, nečloveškim ali poniževalnim kaznim ali ravnanju Implementation of the Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2011 Visit to the Asylum Centre and the Aliens Centre In 2011, we also visited the Asylum Centre (12 October 2011) and the Aliens Centre (18 November 2011). Both are facilities of the Ministry of the Interior; the first is primarily intended for the accommodation of applicants for international protection, and the other is for the accommodation of aliens who are illegally in the Republic of Slovenia. Details related to each of them are noted in the reports on the visits published on the Ombudsman’s website; for the needs of this report, only the most important findings are described below. The official capacities of both facilities are significantly higher than (for several years) the number of persons accommodated, which is encouraging, of course. Living conditions in both were acceptable and the persons to whom we talked did not raise any issues related thereto. Some items of the inventory or equipment of accommodation rooms indicate that replacement will eventually be necessary. Because both facilities accommodate individuals coming from very different, often very distant (in geographical terms and otherwise) countries or cultures, it is not surprising that complaints regarding food were very common. If the meals meet sanitary standards, contain the prescribed amount of energy and also satisfy any special health or religious needs of the applicants, such food cannot be considered as inappropriate, in the opinion of the DPM. Nonetheless, some reasonable comments could be underlined in this area. In the Asylum Centre, we emphasised the opinion of our expert, who stated that constant dissatisfaction with food was �a symptom and not a disease�. For such people, food has special, symbolic meaning – it might be the only subject that can (or could) be under control in their current situation, since everything else is rather insecure. Moreover, their national food is something that connects them with their home country. On the other hand, it is a subject through which it is �safe� to express dissatisfaction with the host country. Being concerned with food this satisfies basic psychological needs (establishment, power, sense of belonging, freedom), which in their current situation are mostly poorly satisfied. In the Aliens Centre, we proposed they provide translations of menus into languages comprehensible to aliens, as having them only in Slovenian is pointless. The second most common cause of complaint from aliens or from applicants for international protection regarded procedures that concern them. Besides being unfamiliar with the law, the most numerous reproaches concerned long-lasting procedures. This is a very complex issue, where any complaints concerning an insufficiently rapid procedure may prove unjustified, as the specifics of a particular case must be taken into account and general conclusions must not be drawn. It should be noted that the nature of this area is very specific, involving communication barriers, insufficient cooperation of the client and similar. There were no circumstances found to indicate intentional delays in procedures. However, we pointed out in the Asylum Centre that the procedure could be faster if the experts for the preparation of psychiatric or psychological expert opinions (to establish whether an applicant for international protection is capable of being questioned) were not given 60 days to perform the expert work. In the Aliens Centre, we specifically checked how the information of aliens is regulated, which undoubtedly plays an important role in this context. There were no deficiencies observed in relation to information, since in addition to oral information provided by the competent workers at the Centre, aliens are informed in writing by means of leaflets, and have the option to make telephone calls to a diplomatic mission or consular post and other organisations for advice, help or information, and may also use the internet for information. National Preventive Mechanism in the Republic of Slovenia under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 55