November 14, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 8, 1423

PARIS, Nov 13: The ultimatum came and went at noontime on Wednesday, and in spite of repeated threats that they would be summarily evacuated by French riot police, 100 DPs decided to remain at St Peter and Paul Church at Calais, as their fifth night in the church approached.

Although negotiations had broken off in the morning, they resumed later, according to a governmental source who noted that the 80 Iraqi Kurds at the church were ready to leave, but on condition that they be immediately accorded political exile in France, a proposal that was immediately turned down by governmental representatives.

As for the dozen Afghanis in the church, they say they are willing to “fight to the finish,” in the words of one occupant, for, unlike the Kurds, who cannot be returned to Iraq, they are easily expellable, and once out of the church, risk finding themselves on an aeroplane destined for Kabul — and this without receiving the $2000 bounty promised to those Afghanis who voluntarily choose to leave France.

French authorities on Wednesday spoke of evacuating the DPs on medical grounds as the church has only a washbasin and a simple toilet, and these have not in any way sufficed to the needs of the 100 illegals on the premises.

An important case of scabies has broken out in the past 24 hours, says a source, and it has been spreading rapidly among the men, who even refuse to leave the church temporarily to take a shower or receive medical assistance.

Although the Red Cross has accused French associations of being responsible for the DPs’ refusal to leave the church, the refugees said that they are “taking the decisions by themselves”.