Europe is at war with an imaginary enemy

In November 2012 an English-French poster called „Transborder Map“ appeared, first online at noborder.org, in the meanwhile also in a printed version. Against the background of a geographical map of Europe, it shows initiatives and projects (also presented in a few sentences on the back) which met at a conference in Istanbul in March 2012 and whose members are defying the migration regime on both sides of the EU’s external borders and beyond. Sixty activists from fourteen countries participated in the exchange meeting; the map is a product of this transnational network.

Whether at the Greek-Turkish Border and in the Aegean, in the straits of Sicily or Gibraltar, and around the island of Lampedusa or the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla: the pictures made at the various focal points, the so-called hotspots of the external borders, resemble each other. Monstrous fences and high-tech surveillance systems, detention camps and permanent deployment of the border control agency Frontex, all funded by the EU, characterize the situation along the major neighbouring states. The Ukraine, Turkey, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and even West African countries are, from the point of view of the EU, essential stations of transit migration and should – by means of economic pressure and financial incentives – as much as possible be forced to integrate with migration control. This externalisation strategy, the outward shifting of the border regime towards the south and the east, has resulted in distress and thousands of deaths being calculated in, in the context of a EU deterrence strategy against „illegal migration“.

Transnational campaigns and structures

What has evolved over these last years as a transnational resistance is therefore all the more important. Three examples: in 2009, with the Noborder camp on Lesbos, not only multiple contacts – in particular with the Afghan and East African migration communities – were established and, through the confrontation with Dublin II (1), maintained during further joint struggles. The camp also was a catalyst for monitoring and support projects along this – statistically considered (2) – most important migration route from Turkey, via Greece, in the direction of north-western Europe.

With the bus caravan for freedom of movement and just development from Bamako to Dakar in early 2011 (3) a further step was taken towards Euro-African cooperation. A continuous exchange has in particular been established with groups in Mali.

And with the Arab Spring new possibilities and necessities arose in the cooperation with organisations in North Africa. With the fall of the „watchdog regimes“ in Tunisia and Libya and in view of the rigid visa politics of the EU, increasing numbers of migrants again took boats in order to get to Europe via Lampedusa and Sicily. Many did and still do die in this way, more and more often also because border guards refuse to rescue them. Against this background a new project of Euro-African solidarity against the lethal border regime at sea, with an emphasis on Tunisia, was started in July 2012 with Boats4People.

If the Noborder camps, caravans and solidarity boats in the contested border areas stand for public actions, yet rather symbolic interventions, the contacts and collaborations have nevertheless evolved into longer-term structures which increasingly turn into effective networks. The knowledge acquired in this way undergoes multiple transformations, for instance into the virtual flight-assistance-guide of Welcome to Europe, which in real supports refugees and migrants on the move, offers useful addresses and practical information from all the important transit and target countries in four languages.

Tenacious movements of migration at all the external borders …

The lethal events in October 2005 in Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish enclaves in Morocco, are in general considered a turning point: Spanish and Moroccan border policemen countered the collective storm of migrants on the fences with plastic bullets and even live ammunition.  At least fourteen people died and hundreds were brought in the direction of the Algerian border in buses and left there in the desert. Despite massively increased controls and repressions towards transit migrants in Morocco and despite the insane armament of the fence systems in Ceuta and Melilla, this border remains a highly controversial centre of struggle to this day. Again and again individuals succeed in scaling the fences or swimming around them, and in August 2012 there were again several hundred who collectively tried to defeat the obstructions (4).

After 2008 and 2009 when the Aegean islands were the principal target of the migrants, the route changed drastically in 2010. The Greek-Turkish land-frontier along the Evros river now became the central place of transit. Even the deployment of Frontex and imprisonment as a deterrent at first could not stop the self-determined entries into the country. The crisis and the smaller chances of survival, the systematic raids of the police and the racist pogroms, as well as – finally – the mobilisation of thousands of border policemen at the border, shifted the picture again in the summer of 2012. There are less people arriving but now again by sea and on to the islands, also on to Lesbos. There, solidarity groups succeeded by the end of November in forcing through an open welcome centre for the new arrivals (5). Considering that in general closed centres and prisons are the reality in Greece, prison riots of the detained refugees and migrants regularly occur.

With the fall of dictator Ben Ali, numerous new actors emerged in Tunisian civilian society.

For the transnational network against the migration regime, the relatives of the missing and drowned Harragas (6) are important, who with their protests not only demand to be informed about the fate of their families and friends, but simultaneously demand the abolishment of the EU visa regime and criticize their own government for its collaboration with the EU. „We made this revolution for dignity and democracy,“ said the spokeswoman of a group of Tunisian mothers of missing persons in July 2012 at an international assembly. And also: „The government stands by doing nothing, our sons have made the revolution, but we still do not have results concerning their whereabouts. There will be a second revolution, if the situation does not change.“ When in September 2012 another boat capsized in close vicinity to Lampedusa and 79 Tunisian migrants – among them children – died, this resulted shortly afterwards in a local uprising in El Fahs, one of the cities of origin of the victims. Strikes were taking place and several police stations as well as the office of the governing party were set on fire.

… Refugee strikes and protests inside the EU

The continuous and tenacious struggles for freedom of movement at the external borders, at this moment correspond with a wave of strikes, protest camps and demonstrations of self-organized refugees inside the EU, e.g. in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Hungary (7). The respective basic conditions are as diverse as the composition and the demands of the actors. Direct connections are so far limited, but the mutual inspiration is obvious. Refugees‘ experiences of struggle during transit are often made part of the actions.

The – until now – static version of the Transborder Map only shows a few key-symbols for migrant struggles inside the EU and does make no claim to be exhaustive. The map nevertheless offers a first survey of an increasing number of networking initiatives all over Europe and beyond. And this initial impetus goes with the proposal to construct an interactive platform. That is a map, which is to be completed and kept up to date, which at the pulse of the movements of migration visualizes the diversity of the resistance and thus strengthens the struggles for global freedom of movement as a transnational process.

The Mapping Team from Hamburg and Hanau

Notes:

(1) EU Regulation on Asylum, stipulating that refugees must be kept in the EU country of their first registration;

(2) From time to time several hundred people per night, in 2010 totalling 47,000 and in 2011 even  55,000 registered „illegal“ border crossings;

(3)see: http://afrique-europe-interact.net

(4) see: http://ffm-online.org/2012/08/19/melilla-fluchtlinge-und-migrantinnen-versuchen-den-eu-zaun-zu-uberwinden

(5) see: http://lesvos.w2eu.net

(6) Arab word for migrants without a visa which in translation means „burner of borders“;

(7) see: http://www.refugeetentaction.net , http://wijzijnhier.org/nl , http://refugeecampvienna.noblogs.org

„Deportations make us barfing!“

Charter-deportation-airport Dusseldorf transformed into a protest-zone

On saturday, 21st of July 2012, about 800 people participated in manifestations and demonstrations outside and inside the Dusseldorf airport against deportations. It started with speeches from the Voice Refugee Forum and „Youth without borders“ at the station, afterwards the demonstration went into direction of the terminal. On the route another protest-speech took place in front of Gate Gourmet and Klüh in reference to the exploitation and resistance of mainly migrant workers in these service companies. Second station was gate 36 and the buildings behind, because from here the charter-deportations are organised, which are first of all directed against Roma-families. Two activists from Roma-initiatives got long applause for an impressive speech accusing this injustice and announcing increasing resistance. The network „stop deportation“ added the critizism against Air-Berlin as profiteer of the deportation business. Afterwards the demonstration reached the terminals, and although the police tried to limit with a big and restrictive police-operation the access into the building to only 300 participants, finally about 600 protestors came together for a loud and powerful indoor-demonstration.

Already in the morning an info-stand was established inside the terminal close to the Air-Berlin check-in-area. Speeches and a press-conference had the same focus: the resistance against the charter-deportations to Serbia and Kosovo, financed by Frontex and organised with Air-Berlin. The living conditions of deported Roma-families have been documented by an exhibition, through video-screenings some affected persons have been represented.

While the samba-band, which has been excluded by police from inside the terminal because of „too loud“ instruments, offered their rhythms of resistance outside, the indoor-program continued with more speeches, theater and a memorial for the death victims of the EU-borderregime.

Finally an action with gas-balloons suceeded, a banner with „unf-air-berlin“ could be brought into air. „Stewardesses“, dressed in „unf-air-berlin“ uniforms, distributed respective info-tickets as well as barf bags with the slogan: „Air Berlin: deportations make us barfing!“

70.000 people – passengers and visitors – should cross the dusseldorf airport on this saturady according the police-informations. At least a few thousands of these visitors came into touch with our loud and colourful protests, which happened between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. simultaniously on various places. Often we experienced an interested or even supporting feedback. Such a manifould action never happened in the Dusseldorf airport ever before. And we hope, that this experience will contribute to strengthen the necessary continuous mobilisations: the next charter deportation to Serbia is already announced by the authorities for wednesday, 1st of August. And the network „stop deportation“ and the Roma-initiatives started the call to come for another protest in front of the gate 36 at the same day.

More information

Source

Failure of Greek authorities to set up migrant reception centers is jeopardizing mission

Officials of the European Union’s border monitoring agency Frontex are becoming increasingly frustrated with the failure of Greek authorities to contribute to their illegal immigration crackdown efforts at the Turkish border and are considering suspending the operation, Skai understands.

According to the agency’s executive director, Ilkka Laitinen, EU member states that have been contributing to a Frontex operation in the border region of Evros with manpower and equipment are becoming reluctant to continue their efforts as Greek authorities have failed to set up new migrant detention centers as promised.

A report issued by the agency showed that detentions at the Greek-Turkish land border increased by 20 percent in October compared to the same month last year. A statement issued by Frontex referred to “an absolute monthly record of 9,600 illegal border crossings.” “Average detections were over 300 irregular migrants crossing that border on a daily basis,” it said. The agency attributed the “dramatic development” to a combination of factors including the absence of sufficient detention facilities both in Greece and Turkey and the lack of adequate agreements for the readmission of immigrants from specific countries of origin.

Source: Ekathimerini

Frontex: Blood on your hands, now also in Evros region. In the end, not really surprising… Oh, you are just a coordinator?! What do you guys in Warsaw and at the border think, whose cameras and patrols forced the dead to hide themselves so long and so far from urban terrain that they froze to death?

Nobordercat Felicitas explains: “Rabbits instead of RABITS”.

Freedom of movement! NO BORDER!

Following the EU eastward expansion, countries like Bulgaria and Romania are progressively cracking down on those that try to cross their borders and rampantly working against freedom of movement. The Bulgarian government’s current target date for joining the Schengen agreement is 2012. The border control between Bulgaria and Turkey is cited as the biggest problem Bulgaria is faced with in order for the country to join Schengen. Following the participation of Bulgarian border police in FRONTEX operations along the Greek-Turkish border, there is talk of extending the agency’s operations to the border between Bulgaria and Turkey.

These developments, together with the deterioration of the migrants’ situation in neighboring Greece, are the two immediate reasons for organizing a No Border camp at the border between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey in the coming summer. The camp will run from the 25th August until the 29th of August 2011.

More information

Demonstration at Brussels Airport

Blockade of the entrance to the closed detention centre

TV-news (in French)

Demonstration at Brussels Airport and at the entrance of the closed detention centre against collective expulsion by the EU agency Frontex: At Brussels Airport  60 people protested against the collective expulsion of 61 Nigerians and Congolese by Frontex, the European Agency for management of the external borders. The deportees are 9 Nigerians and 3 Congolese who are in detention centers in Belgium and 49 from Great Britain, Germany, France, Switserland, Poland, Sweden and Norway.

The demonstrators are protesting against what they called a “flight of shame”: “Belgium hires for this collective expulsion a full Airbus plane, which will depart from the military airport of Melsbroek. It was seven years ago that Belgium rented such a big plane to send asylum seekers collectively back to their country. This way Belgium cooperates with the European anti-immigration politics. We must protest against this in every possible way.”

The protesters are demanding a radically different European migration policy and the closure of all detention centers for refugees. According to them, people there are illegally detained without any legal assistance, while they often have committed no crime at all. The demonstrators took their protest message first in the departure lounge and then into the airport arrival hall. That went on a noisy but orderly manner so that no incidents occurred.

Furthermore, there were again protests at Warsaw, where the Frontex headquarter is located.