By Bassma Al Jandaly | GulfNews.com
SHARJAH, ABU DHABI – Tsegaye Wolde Asfaw did not enter the country illegally, nor did he abscond from his sponsor.
Yet, for the past three years, the 32-year-old Ethiopian has been counting his days at the detention centre at Al Sader deportation facility in Abu Dhabi.
A diplomat from the Ethiopian consulate in Dubai confirmed that Asfaw was being held at Al Sader deportation centre since 2005 for no crime of his.
“There was no case against Asfaw. He was injured while at work and then quit his job. He filed a complaint against the company with the police and also approached the court and the labour department in Sharjah in order to get his salary dues for six months released,” the official said explaining how Asfaw came to be lodged at Al Sader deportation jail after falling foul of the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD).
The diplomat said Asfaw used to work for White Sea Shipping and Supply Company at Al Hamriya free zone in Sharjah as an engineer on a monthly salary of Dh 1,500.
“We tried several times to contact SNRD and the company owners in order to sort out Asfaw’s problem but they did not respond to us,” the official said.
Asfaw told Gulf News that he fell down on a huge fan at the work place in 2005 and lost a finger besides suffering other injuries.
“I was taken to a hospital by the company’s public relations officer. They did not report the accident to police,” he said.
The hospital medical report stated that Asfaw had incurred a six-per cent permanent disability due to his injuries.
“I reported the issue to the police, to the court and to the labour department stating that I had not been paid my dues and salary for six months. The case was investigated by police,” he said.
“The company claimed they had paid my salary and they produced a salary acceptance slip with my signature but police investigations could not authenticate the signature,” he said.
In August 27, 2005 the company signed an undertaking with the police that it would take responsibility for Asfaw’s medical expenses and hand him a compensation package but did not abide by the commitment.
The compensation case was referred to the Sharjah Sharia Court which ruled in favour of the company.
“I was accused of jumping from the tenth floor of a building at Al Hamriya free zone in Sharjah despite the fact that there was not even one ten-storey building there. I was detained in Sharjah Central Jail though there was no case pending against me. Then I was sent to the SNRD deportation centre and finally landed up here,” he said.
An official from the Ministry of Interior said the ministry had been trying for a long time to obtain an out-pass for Asfaw but the Ethiopian consulate had not been very cooperative.