European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Frankfurt Airport is All some see by Roland Stegloff Deutsche Presse Agenter lock c183 at the Airport. In Frankfurt Germany h in t a prison but some of the occupants who stare longingly out the windows h of the closely guarded a Fly building Are waiting for a judgment that May mean the difference Between life and death. The residents of Block g183 Are Asylum seekers waiting for their applications on the grounds of political persecution to be processed. It s a kind of no Man s land at the City s Rhein main Airport one of the busiest airports in the world. Some will be deported never seeing More of Germany than the fluorescent strip lighting Barren sleeping quarters and a barbed wire enclosed exercise area wedged Between a runway and an autobahn. Since july 1993/when Germany introduced new Laws governing Asylum seekers Block c.183 has come to symbolize Bonn s determination to control the influx of Asylum seeking foreigners into Germany. Quot when it comes to acting As a deterrent this office has fulfilled its function completely Quot said Holger Habel head of operations at the Block a department of the Federal office for the recognition of foreign refugees. The idea is to deter Many would be refugees in particular those who want to enter Germany solely for economic reasons As Well As victims of smuggling rings who charge thousands of dollars for an ostensibly Safe ticket to Germany. Since Bonn set Down a list of nine countries which it designates As Safe a that is where no political persecution is perceived a hardly anyone from. Bulgaria Gambia Ghana Poland Romania Senegal Slovakia Republic the czech Republic or Hungary has tried to seek political Asylum in a Germany. Some of those who arrive in Frankfurt hoping to flee War famine or poverty at Home find themselves on a. Homeward bound plane 14 Days later. Others Are transferred elsewhere to await the outcome of their applications. Yet others find themselves stranded in Block c 183 for months. One sikh Asylum seeker in his mid-20s spent six months at the facility after s4s Dave Diflo a guard talks with two turkish boys at a waiting room hear the Frankfurt Airport customs office As officials try to determine their immigration status. He arrived without valid identification papers. The Bali turned Down his application As Quot clearly unjustified Quot the courts rejected his bid to stay but India refused to take him Back without papers. Quot he was kept under conditions close to detention Quot said the Man s lawyer Christof Momberger. The sikh eventually found his own Way of the intractable situation a he pried open an emergency exit and fled. When it comes to acting As a deterrent this office has fulfilled its function  a Holger Habel Federal office for the recognition of foreign refugees More than 1,600 people applied for Asylum at Frankfurt Airport from july 1, 1993, through the end of this May far fewer than during the 11 previous months. Figures for Germany As a whole show that a total of 9,287 people applied for Asylum in May 1994 a 70 percent fewer than in May 1993. Only around half of the 1,600 hopefuls who arrived at Frankfurt Airport since the new Laws came into Force were awarded Asylum status by Bali officials. But around 1,300 were allowed to enter Germany and take part in the Normal Asylum application process. Of the remainder 291 cases were rejected outright although these rulings were overturned later by administrative judges in 110 cases. In 14 cases the asyl urn seekers had to see k red Ress at the Federal constitutional court before they were even allowed to enter Germany and formally seek Refuge. Klaus Severin in charge of the Border police department at the Frankfurt Airport will not divulge the number of Asylum seekers who have escaped from Block c 183. He stressed that some rooms have been newly fitted out in such a Way that Quot escape is impossible Quot but added Quot it s not a prison you  the Airport operator Frankfurt a flu Hafen a spent about $600,000 refitting the quarters to House Asylum seekers. According to Claudia Weisbart spokeswoman of the family ministry in the state of Hessen the Quarter Are Quot not Ideal but at least they Are fit for human  but the humane new quarters have been empty for five months because of a dispute Over Security and fire prevention measures. Scripps Howard news service Short subject. A m a London would t be London without taxis by Christiane Oelrich Deutsche Presse Agenter without taxis chaos would break out in London. Visitors and residents in the City of 8 million Are absolutely dependent on them. With the streets clogged by traffic sometimes the Only Hope of reaching a destination on time is to Call on the cabbies who know their Way around All obstacles. And this year is special for taxis 300 years ago parliament passed a Bill granting taxi concessions to 600 horse drawn carriages. To an extent the londoners have the French to thank for this occasion. The War against France and the French attack on new York which had belonged to Britain since 1625, forced the British government in 1694 to look for ways to raise Money. Some Clever person got the idea to raise at least part of the funds by Selling taxi concessions. Today some 19,000 taxis drive the streets of London. Unmistakable with their Large Box Frame construction they re everywhere and rarely does it take More than two minutes before a free cab can be hailed Down. Cab Drivers must pass a rigorous police examination before they re licensed. A Driver must know the streets churches hospitals Heaters restaurants court buildings subway stations train stations and Many More facilities in the nearly 800-Square-mile area. John Thomas of the London taxi Drivers Union estimates that it takes two to three years before a candidate has acquired enough knowledge to pass the test. Quot seven out of 10 hopefuls give up beforehand a he says. As a result the genuine cabbies Are angered by Quot minicabs Drivers who mainly operate in London s suburbs using private cars without licenses or meters. A a convicted rapist can be let out of prison in the morning and in the evening be working As a minicab Driver a Thomas complains. He estimates that 40,000 minicabs Are in service. Fora Long time now the taxi Drivers Union has been lobbying the transportation ministry to demand that the unwelcome Competition also be required to get a License. Now London taxis Are no longer restricted to Britain a capital. The big Roomy cars Are also used for taxi services in Singapore and Kenya. Peter Wildgoose marketing director of London taxi International which builds the car Hopes for further Export business. The taxis have been tested in the Netherlands and Belgium he notes. And for those who collect cars or simply want one for the family the car is available for around s30.000. A so rides Howard news service London s taxis a 300-year tradition file wednesday july 27,1994 the stars and stripes 17