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Iranians Go on Hunger Strike By William J. Kole AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Wasting away, they share a crusade and a grim ultimatum: ``death or a green card.'' Amir Amiry and Majid Masseri, who fled persecution in their native Iran, began hunger strikes after the Dutch government ordered their deportation as illegal immigrants two months ago. Today was Amiry's 62nd day without food; Masseri has been fasting for 31 days, including a 10-day stretch earlier this month without water. The plight of the two, who are semiconscious and nearing death, has kindled debate in the Netherlands about whether the country is abandoning its tradition of taking in the desperate and the downcast. ``We feel really torn,'' said Ruud Francissen, a recently retired engineer. ``Responsible people want to do something. But thousands of people are trying to come to the Netherlands. We can't absorb them all.'' Another 25 Iranians have launched hunger strikes recently in solidarity with the two men, each of whom has vowed to continue to the death if they're not allowed to stay. But this afternoon, a court in The Hague rejected a last-ditch injunction aimed at stopping Masseri's deportation, saying he had no right to refugee status. Immediately after the ruling, Masseri left the hospital and again was refusing to take liquids. It was unclear where he would go. ``He always said: `Death or a green card,''' said Masseri's doctor, Cees van Ojen, who has been caring for him at a hospital in the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen. The hunger strikes are reminiscent of last summer's emotional eight-week fast in Paris by 10 Africans determined to stay in France. Around Europe, illegal immigrants are using fasts to test the generosity of countries that welcomed them just a few decades ago. Over the centuries, the Netherlands has become known for opening its doors to those in need, most notably the thousands of Jews it took in during World War II. Today, 300 people seek asylum every day in Holland, according to a report released this week. Last winter, 173 Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka flew to Amsterdam seeking asylum. Officials have yet to decide which -- if any -- will be allowed to stay. Like many industrialized countries, the Netherlands has seen immigration rise steadily over the last few decades, and sharply over the last five years. Those seeking refuge come from countries in Africa, Asia and other regions. The debate here over whether to tighten immigration policies is a familiar one. On one side are those who say the system is already overtaxed and cannot support the surge of newcomers every year. On the other are those who argue that openness to outsiders is fundamental to the Netherlands' identity. The rift is compounded by the fact that the Netherlands is Europe's most densely populated country. Many Dutch have been on waiting lists for housing for years. Both Masseri and Amiry, 27, say they face imprisonment, torture or death if they return to Iran because its Islamic government has accused them of spying while working as low-level government bureaucrats. They deny it. Masseri, 41, began his hunger strike only 30 days ago, and doctors say well-nourished people can last 50 to 70 days without food. But they can survive only six or seven days without water, and until midweek, Masseri had gone an astounding 10 days without any liquids. Their families are lashing out at the Dutch government, accusing officials of unjustly rejecting the requests for political asylum. ``I'm very angry at the government,'' said Masseri's daughter, Simin, 13, who this week joined her sister and mother in their own hunger strikes. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said it based its deportation order on its belief that the political and human rights situation in Iran is improving under a new, more moderate government. Amnesty International and others question that. ``They're to be deported like sheep,'' said Ahmed Pouri , leader of a refugee activist group. ``This is justice?''
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