Fate of Kurdish refugees puts French PM in tricky position

The French Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, yesterday warned against granting political asylum en masse to more than 900 Iraqi Kurdish boat people who arrived in France at the weekend.

They had to be treated humanely, Mr Jospin said, but France and Europe must be careful "not to give a sort of reward to those criminal elements involved in the traffic of men and women".

But Mr Jospin and his Interior Minister, Mr Daniel Vaillant, who said that "over and above emotion there are rules", appear to be fighting a losing battle.

It would be politically unacceptable for France to return the immigrants to Turkey, where they boarded the East Sea freighter during the night of February 9th/10th, or to President Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq.

All of the Kurds have asked for political asylum in France. But under French law, asylum is granted to those who can demonstrate that they are persecuted as individuals - not as part of an ethnic group.

The immigrants were quick to adopt French customs, holding a 45-minute sit-in that blocked the gate to their camp yesterday morning. An interpreter said they wanted better housing, more hot food, medical treatment for their children and the status of political refugees.

Both Le Monde and Liberation, which usually support the left-wing government, demanded that the refugees be allowed to stay in France. So did Dr Bernard Kouchner, the former Kosovo administrator who has just resumed his old post as Health Minister.

The West promised to save Iraq's Kurds a decade ago and failed to keep that promise, critics of the government's cautious approach said. Unless Europe finds a political solution to the Kurdish problem, the least Europeans could do was to receive those who flee.

One of the most emotional appeals came from the Gaullist RPR party spokesman, Mr Patrick Devedjian, who recalled that "with my father, we arrived like that and they let us stay". Mr Devedjian is Armenian.

The local population of the Var region has welcomed the boat people warmly, rushing to contribute bedding, clothes and food. Initially, well-wishers threw bundles over the wire fence surrounding the infantry base at Frejus, where the immigrants are being held. But chaos ensued when crowds of Kurds rushed to seize the gifts and the Red Cross had to establish sorting and distribution centres.

The government says the Frejus camp is a "waiting zone". But lawyers for anti-racist, pro-immigrant groups argue that the Kurds entered France the moment they stepped ashore on the Cote d'Azur on Saturday and cannot legally be "transferred" to a "waiting zone" after the fact. Authorities can detain asylum-seekers for a maximum of 20 days.

Once all of the Kurds have been interviewed, they may be granted temporary residence tomorrow, with the stipulation that they report to a prefecture to formally apply for asylum.

Interpol has contacted Italian, Greek, Turkish and Syrian authorities in an attempt to locate the captain, crew and owner of the East Sea, which was registered under a Cambodian flag of convenience.

According to Lloyd's List, the last owner of the decrepit freighter was a Syrian named Mr Mohammed Ali Alala and its captain, also of Syrian nationality, was Mr Abdulatif Hassan Zuhdi Sh'Hadek.