We`ll Come United on Tour for 2018 +++ 9.2.-21.2.18 from Berlin to Bamberg: Kannouta – Filmtour with the Filmemakers +++ 17.2.18 in Munich: Demo against the socalled Security-Conference +++ Refugee-Protests in Deggendorf and Bamberg +++ Charter-Deportations to Afghanistan and Pakistan +++ Protests against GroKo-(big coalition)prevention of familiy reunifications +++ Against the detention in Darmstadt +++ Update on the trial against Ahmed from Röszke11 +++ Alarm Phone: Solidarity Messages for those in Transit- Sea Rescue +++ Central Med: Iuventa, SOS Mediterrannee, Sea Watch +++ Review: Oury Jalloh Demonstration in Dessau ++ Outlook: 17.3.18: Action-Day against the EU-Turkey-Deal; 10.-13.5.18 in Göttingen: Conference of the big coalition of antiracism; June 2018: Education not deportation… Schoolstrike!
Dear friends!
Save the date in your calendars: Saturday 29th of September! And the place: Hamburg! We`ll Come United has decided in a well-attended meeting in Kassel to call for a next parade. Get-together for the second time. 29.9.18 as new point of reference for the antiracist movement in 2018. And the mobilization will start – now! Swarming for We`ll Come United! Through an intensified exchange about our daily struggles. To let circulate our experiences of resistance. Against all deportations and for freedom of movement. Against social exclusion and for equal rights for everybody. The many already involved groups will swarm out in a common concept to reach active and interested people in cities and villages, in camps and communities, who did not yet participate. To empower their daily struggles and to invite them: first to come in May to a conference in Göttingen, then in July for a summer school and finally end of September to the streets of Hamburg.
According the statistics of the federal office (for migration) in 2017 about 260.000 persons achieved a residence permission. With the record number of 430.000 in the last year and all the positive decisions in other EU-countries much more than 1 Million people should have found a first place of arrival through the long summer of migration. They will continue to struggle for their social rights (housing, language, health…) and for a better income (in fair jobs).
More than 230.000 asylum applications have been rejected and additionally to the refugees and migrants, who have been already obliged to leave, another – roughly estimated – 1 Million people without papers or in precarious status have to eke out a living in Europe. They resist against deportations via Dublin or into countries of origin and they want to get to a safe place finally.
In addition we see new arrivals: in 2017 more than 170.000 arrived through the mediterranean sea – in spite of the externalization of the border regime and in spite of the criminalization of sea rescue. The routes remain contested spaces as it was demonstrated again on 16th of January: only on this one single day in the middle of the winter more than 1400 people started from Libya in direction of Italy.
In the same time we do not forget: the death at sea continue unabated. With more dictators and corrupt rulers readmission agreements haben been signed in order to intensify the pressure of deportation against the communities. And all over Europe open racists get better organized inside and outside rightwing populist governments.
To sum it up in a pointed way: More than one million people succeeded to get their right to stay and with this experience they struggle for social participation. One more million will not give up to find a safe place and they will oppose to the european deportation policy.
Moreover hundred thousands of people are not willing to get deterred by the murderous border regime. We do not dare to anticipate what is the situation in Europe in five years. But the global movements of flight and migration will very probably influence the situation as much as they have done it in the last five years. „Still moving Europe“ – at least for 2018 the struggles of migration will create ongoing moving times in Europe and last not least in Germany.
That is the alive social space, in which self organization and emancipative left can intertwine. In which the efforts are worth to solidify the resistance against deportation and exclusion in direction of solidarity cities. And – to pick up the first sentences again – the idea suggests itself to contribute to the circulation of daily struggles. In the parade we should provide the visibility again, what these struggles do deserve.
For an antiracist 2018,
the Kompass-Crew
P.S.: In Solidarity with the defense of the people in Afrin we call to participate in the protests against the invasion of turkish military. And attached we document a chapter of a recent statement from the umbrella organization of kurdish people in Germany (Nav-Dem): „…But we are all testimonies of a historic resistance. The advance of the turkish army is stucked in spite of the permanent airstrikes and the predominance with all weapons. The people from Afrin in the bigger part are not willing to leave their homes – despite the acute risk of live. On the contrary last weekend hundred thousands of people from Afrin and from the whole federation North-Syria went on the streets and expressed their will to block the war of Turkey by all means necessary. Them and us all know, that in Afrin not only a piece of land is defended against the aggressor. In Afrin a democratic model of the society, a perspective of freedom for Syria and for the whole Middle East will be defended….“
The full text in German: https://anfdeutsch.com/aktuelles/nav-dem-solidaritaet-mit-efrin-auf-neue-stufe-heben-2169
Dates in February and March 2018
We`ll Come United on Tour and at 29.9. in Hamburg!
Hamburg has been awarded the contract. We fixed the place and we fixed the date: on the 29th of September 2018, we – and everyone who could not yet participate in Berlin – will come together. It will get colorful and loud again, there will be theatre and music, stories from below will be written and told.
In the meantime, we have to get along with only a minimum of sleep. The daily struggles know no winter breaks and no Easter holidays. And we have big plans with our network. We will swarm out in all directions and break the isolation in the camps. We will make new friends, refresh the old contacts and then finally become in Hamburg many more than we got already in the last year.
Our next stop will be in May in Göttingen, where we will discuss together with the network of critical migration and border regime research (kritnet) and the Solidarity City network the future of a „big coalition of antiracism“. A summer school is also being planned. It’s going to be a good year! Come with us, solidarity and antiracism is what the world urgently needs now.
Save the date, spread the word and join the parade. Let‘s come united again!
9.2. – 21.2.18: Kannouta Movie Tour: Presentation and Discussion
Tunesia became an important partner of the EU members during the past years and is supposed to work as a „doorman“ in front of the european borders. At the same time, the economical situation has gotten worse. The european isolation against migration is leading to less possibilites for young tunesians of travelling legal to Europe and therefore risk the crossing in little wooden boats or dinghys. The documentation Kannouta asks young tunesians and their relatives about their real life and the reasons for their dangerous travel.
The movie lasts about half an hour. Afterwards you have the possibility to discuss with the regisseurs Zied Ben Taleb and Margarete Twenhoeven and there will background information concerning the situation in Tunesia.
Event locations:
- Friday 09.02. 7.30 pm Berlin, Eiszeit Kino, Zeughofstraße 20
- Sunday 11.02. 6pm Uhr Hamburg, Cantina Fux und Ganz, Bodenstedtstr. 16
- Tuesday 13.02. 7pm Oldenburg, Kaiserstraße 19
- Wednesday 14.02. 7pm Göttingen, bei Musa e.V., Hagenweg 2a
- Thursday 15.02. 7.30 pm Hanau, Autonomes Kulturzentrum, Metzgerstrasse 8
- Sunday 18.02. 7pm Köln, Naturfreundehaus Kalk, Kapellenstraße 9 a
- Tuesday 20.02. 6.30 pm Bamberg, Lichtspiel Kino, Untere Königstr. 34
- New: Wednesday, 21.02. 7pm Leipzig, Tipi im Westwerk, Karl-Heine-Straße 89
More information: https://www.borderline-europe.de/termine
17.2.18 in Munich: Mass demonstration against the so-called safety conference; Demonstration against Afghanistan-deportations
On the occasion of the Nato – Safety – Conference the afghan president Ashraf Ghani is expected to be in Munich. A group of Afghans registered a demonstration against the repatriation agreements and the deportation of afghan refugees.
Saturday, 17. 2. 2018 from 9 – 12 am, Lenbachplatz, Munich.
Mass demonstration: Peace instead of military upgrading. No to War.
„Go with us on the streets – on Saturday, 17th of February 2018. In Munich the 54th Conference under the banner Safety takes place while at the same time due to the moved forward NATO forces at the russian border the biggest military powers are facing each other. While at the same time the conflict between North Korea and USA looks like to escalade into a nuclear war. While at the same time NATO states and their allies take part in the destruction of basic needs from billions of people and force them to flee for example in the kurdish areas, in Jemen and Afghanistan. While at the same time more than 815 billion of people suffer from chronic hunger. Every ten seconds a child under five years dies as a result of malnutrition. But also in Germany 15% of the population is living in poverty and social insecurity. It is high time to talk about global safety for all human beings but thats not what it is about on the so-called security conference in Munich ….“
Further information: http://sicherheitskonferenz.de
Refugee-Protests in Deggendorf and Bamberg
In December 2017 a series of strikes and demonstrations took place in the transitcamps in Deggendorf, followed in January by protests from inhabitants of AEO (Aufnahme-Einrichtung Oberfranken) in Bamberg. We document parts of the statements of the selforganised groups and we offer the links to two videos about the protest of the refugees.
Deggendorf:
Video documentation of the Deggendorf transit camp protest on 20th December 2017 (Bavaria, Germany), against deportations, inhuman living conditions in the camp and the new 24 months policy:
SIERRA LEONE IMMIGRANTS BASED IN DEGGENDORF, GERMANY
PRESS RELEASE
The refugees in Deggendorf have been denied the right to demand their dignity in relation to the horrible situation in Germany.
On this basis, on 15 December 2017, more than 209 people from Sierra Leone, including men, women and children started a hunger strike demonstration, with no 80-cent jobs and no education for the inhumane conditions and against rejection and deportation. This goes until 20th December 2017 with a protest across Deggendorf, other refugees and immigrants from other Bavarian camps joined. The protests raised objections to the ongoing deportation, lack of good medical care, 24 months in the camp, miserable sanitary conditions and the denial of normal schooling, which ended peacefully.
Full text here: http://www.thevoiceforum.org/node/4444 <http://www.thevoiceforum.org/node/4444>
Contact via Facebook: Sierraleoneanimmigrantsingermany
Bamberg:
The inhabitants of the Bamberg AEO transit camp (Bavaria, Germany) protested on 17 Jan 2018 against the scandalous conditions and treatment they face in the camp. They marched from the camp to the town hall in city center to hand over their petition to the mayor.
Refugees are currently kept in the AEO without money, work, school and any German document, some even 24 months already. Legal aid is not given, not even basic information, the administration acts in a fully intransparent way and violence and criminalisation by camp securities and the police is quotidian. The inhabitants are not allowed to leave Bamberg. The AEO, an integrated reception and deportation camp, has 1400 inhabitants, with a total capacity of 3400. It was built by the state of Bavaria in a former U.S. Army military base and is run by the goverment of Upper Franconia, who presents it as a „model project“ for Germany and whole Europe. A new law from July 2017 allows German states to decide to keep people with „no perspective to stay“ in such camps. For the inhabitants the AEO is worse than prison.
More information: bambergrefugees@gmail.com
Video documentation of the Bamberg transit camp protest on 17th January 2018 (Bavaria, Germany), by the inhabitants of the AEO camp against the scandalous conditions and treatment in the camp. The AEO, an integrated reception and deportation camp, has currently 1400 inhabitants, in total 3400 places. The state of Bavaria and the government of Upper Franconia present the camp as a „model project“ for Germany and the whole Europe. For the inhabitants its worse than a prison.
Charter deportations to Afghanistan and Pakistan
Charter deportation to Kabul
„On the evening of Tuesday 23rd January 2018 19 Afghan refugees were deported to Kabul from Düsseldorf airport. This was the ninth collective deportation to Afghanistan. This time other states whch had not previously participated in collective deportations, also took part. Thus Thüringen and Schleswig-Holstein registered people for the flight along with Bayern, Hamburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen, Baden-Württemberg, and Nordrhein-Westfalen. 8 out of the 15 men from Bavaria who were probably designated for the flight ended up being deported. Most men scheduled for deportation are accused of criminal offenses or identity fraud. With this flight, again, this is untrue in many cases. In five cases deportations were stopped by courts of law. This shows once more how questionable and reckless Bavarian authorities are acting in pressing for deportations and how often their arguments do not hold up from a humanitarian but also from a legal perspective. In many German cities there were rallies and demonstrations – eg in München, Fürth, Würzburg and Düsseldorf.“ See http://www.fluechtlingsrat-bayern.de
Charter deportation to Islamabad
According to the Hessian refugee Council on 6th February 23 persons were deported to Pakistan on a collective charter coordinated by EU border protection agency Frontex, among them people from other EU states. This was the first Frontex collective deportation from Frankfurt, although in December there had been a similar EU charter deportation from Berlin to Pakistan. The context is that German deportation authorities appear to have found a way to obtain travel documents for refused asylum seekers from Pakistan despite the persons concerned not being able to present passports. In the last years this had been a major obstacle to deportation.
Protests aganinst the GroKo-agreement to prevent family reunification
With several demonstrations and petitions refugees and supporters protested against the separation from their relatives. During the editorial deadline it was not 100% clear, if the socalled big coalition would come. But the representatives of both parties (CDU and SPD) obviously made an agreement to prolong the ongoing separation of families, whose members in Germany have the status of subsidarian protection.
Further information: http://familienlebenfueralle.blogsport.eu/2018/01/29/nein-zur-weiteren-aussetzung-des-familiennachzugs
Against the deportation prison in Darmstadt
Despite the pouring rain over 1000 people participated in the demonstration against the implementation of a deportation prison in Darmstadt on 20th January 2018. During the previous week there was a well-received series of events in Darmstadt. In the new prison, set to open in April 2018, up to 50 people will be detained for the preparation of their deportation despite not having committed any crimes. The black/green state government had passed a new state law for this purpose after all deportation detention had been abolished in Hessen in 2014. The call for the deomstration with the most importans infos in several languages:
https://www.facebook.com/events/337000446766904
Solidarity with Ahmed from Röszke11
„From 8th to 12th January 2018 three sessions of the apeeal trial of Ahmed H. took place in the Hungarian city Szeged. 2016 the Syrian man was judged to ten years prison because of „terrorism“ and „illegal border crossing“ after he joined protests against the closing of the border between Serbia and Hungary at Röszke.
Because of procedural irregularity the process went back to the first to the first prosecution June 2017. There the evidences should be proofed and judged again. Britta Rabe took part in the process days as international observer of the Committee of Fundamental Rights and Democracy. On 14th and 19th March the pleas and the judgement are expected. …“
Detailed report here: http://www.grundrechtekomitee.de/node/907
More Information, a new video clip as well as media reports on the blog of the international solidarity network: https://freetheroszke11.weebly.com
Alarm Phone: Solidarity Messages for those in Transit – Sea Rescue
„This is the second series of our video project ‘Solidarity Messages for those in Transit’. This time, we have three videos in which survivors of sea journeys pass on advice on Rescue at Sea, spoken in Amharic, Somali and Madinka, with English subtitles.
Please share widely in the respective communities:
Our video project emerged through the WatchTheMed Alarm Phone network. It aims to reach travellers along their migratory trajectories, in order to support them when they navigate the many border obstacles and traps that the EU and its member states have erected in their paths….“
YouTube channel with all videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8euh2Zh5e_PHnovsiUiCBQ/videos?disable_polymer=1
Amharic video – Kindesha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-uC5Oatf8M
Somali video – Yusuf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_7MH2f9jcE&feature=youtu.be
Madinka – Numu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD_F7yRfxh0&feature=youtu.be
You can also share the videos via Facebook:
Kindesha: https://www.facebook.com/watchthemed.alarmphone/videos/2045387629068803/
Yusuf: https://www.facebook.com/watchthemed.alarmphone/videos/2045382879069278/
Numu: https://www.facebook.com/watchthemed.alarmphone/videos/2045386465735586/
Central Mediterranean Sea:
Iuventa, Aquarius, Sea Watch 1400 Arrivals at 16. January 2018…
Very good report from Monitor (in German) about the criminalization of sea rescue (particularly about the Iuventa case) and about the intended death at sea: https://www1.wdr.de/daserste/monitor/sendungen/iuventa-100.html
Dramatic Rescue Operation from SOS Mediterranee End of January:
28.1.18: „…Yesterday the Aquarius, chartered by SOS MEDITERRANEE and operated in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), faced one of its most tragic days at sea since the beginning of its mission in the Central Mediterranean almost two years ago. After having been at dawn a direct witness to the interception of a rubber dinghy in international waters by the Libyan Coast Guard, the Aquarius was mobilized for the rescue of sinking rubber boat in international waters off the Libyan coast. In the end of the day, 98 people were pulled into safety. Two women died and many more are missing. After this doubly tragic day, the Aquarius continues to patrol international waters in search of other boats in distress….“
Full report here: http://sosmediterranee.org/tragic-day-for-aquarius-in-the-mediterranean-a-fatal-shipwreck-and-new-interception-of-migrant-boat-by-libyan-coast-guard/?lang=en
Sea Watch on 30.1.2018:
„Auch die zweite Sea-Watch-Mission 2018 begann dramatisch: Zunächst rettete unsere Crew etwa 80 Seemeilen vor Al Khums 165 Menschen von einem einzigen Boot. Dann übernahm die Sea-Watch 3 weitere 265 Gäste von der Organisation „Proactiva Open Arms“.
Das vielzitierte Boot war diesmal wirklich voll: Als “bis an die Grenzen ausgelastet“ beschrieb Missionsleiter Julian Köberer die Situation. Verständlich, denn nie zuvor waren so viele Gerettete an Bord der Sea-Watch 3. Leider gestaltete sich die Überfahrt nach Italien auf Grund schlechten Wetters und meterhoher Wellen ebenso schwierig wie langwierig.
Der Crew blieb nicht viel Zeit durchzuatmen. Wenige Tage später bargen die Sea-Watch-Aktivist*innen 303 Menschen von einem in Seenot geratenen Holzboot – und erlebten am Sonntag einen besonderen Moment: Die Geflüchteten hielten an Deck einen Dankgottesdienst ab. Sieh Dir jetzt ein kurzes Video der Messe auf Facebook https://sea-watch.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d3af916577a35dae8822b72e1&id=66eac63d24&e=919ee0cafa an!…“ Mehr hier: https://sea-watch.org/der-wille-der-tortur-in-libyen-irgendwie-zu-entkommen-ist-groesser-als-die-angst-vor-dem-tod-auf-dem-meer/
Article in German on the 16th of January, when on one single day – in the middle of the wintertime- 1400 Boatpeople have been rescued:
http://www.dw.com/de/rund-1400-flüchtlinge-auf-dem-mittelmeer-gerettet/a-42173603?maca=de-EMail-sharing
And an updated report from Tagesschau (in German), which explains about the increasing numbers of arrivals:
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/libyen-fluechtlinge-117.html
Review
7th of January 2018: Commemoration and protest demonstration at the 13th anniversary of the death of Oury Jalloh
For the first time over 5000 people commemorate to Oury Jalloh who was burned to death by police men in police custody in Dessau.
A thanking speech of Thomas Ndindah from the initiative in memory of Oury Jalloh:
„It has been more than a clear sign which all of the over 5000 people had made being there in the streets and places, in front of the institutions and authority buildings, in the city park and on the market place of Dessau. It has been a manifestation of a wide, observant and outraged public who is prepared for resistance. Not all 5000 people arrived at the beginning of the demonstration due to regional and national traffic jam… 5000 people who all together found not enough space in front of the State Attorney Dessau Roßlau in the Ruststraße… 5000 people who nearly filled out the city park around the Stele for Alberto Adriano… 5000 people who chanted „Shame on You!“ in front of the regional court Dessau. 5000 people who reached from there until to new planned deportation prison of Saxony-Anhalt. 5000 people who shouted „Blood, blood, blood on your fingers!“ and „No Justice No Peace“ in front of the closed police station in the Wolfgangstraße and who demanded enlightment, true and justice now.
The most moving moments has been the speech of Mamadou Saliou Diallo, the brother of Oury Jalloh who has been invited from the initiative in memory of Oury Jalloh, the welcome speech of Mouctar Bah, a friend of Oury Jalloh and activist from the first minute and the speech of Senfo Tonkam, a Panafrica activist from Hamburg, who spoke about the crime and its cover-up in the perspective of Oury and so gave him a voice. …“
The whole text and impressing photos at Umbruch Bildarchiv:
http://www.umbruchbildarchiv.de/bildarchiv/ereignis/070118oury_jalloh.html
Outlook
Towards 8th of March Women strike – Text from the transnational strike platform
Freedom of movement, freedom from violence!
We publish a text written by some migrant women – students and workers, refugees and asylum seekers – after the demonstration against slavery and against Italo-Libyan agreements that took place in Bologna, Italy, on the 2nd of December 2017.The article focuses on migrant women’s conditions and their daily struggle for freedom. Starting from different positions and stories, the article aims at giving collective force to single struggles and experiences, thus rejecting those divisions and hierarchies imposed by institutional racism. Our challenge is to connect with the struggles carried on by migrant women and give them resonance and visibility in the path towards the global women’s strike on the 8th of March: their struggle for freedom is our struggle.
„On the 2nd of December we migrant women took again to the streets to make our voices heard. We demonstrated against slavery and the Italian-Libyan agreements, because what happened is unacceptable. We demonstrated because the violence we face in Libya chases us throughout our journey and continues in Europe. We raised our voice against a situation affecting women even more brutally and turning our journey to freedom into a war against us. To get here we fought and, without ever stopping, on the 2nd December we took to the streets to fight again….“
The full text here: https://www.transnational-strike.info/2018/02/02/freedom-of-movement-freedom-from-violence/
17th of March – Action-Day – Stop the EU Dirty Migration Deals
City Plaza: International call for the 17th March 2018 – European day against all anti-migration policies between states
17m18CommonStruggles: Stop EU’s Dirty Anti-Migration Deals<https://www.facebook.com/17m18commonstuggles/?fref=mentions
People from all over the world flee war, poverty, torture, political, ethnic as well as religious persecution and slavery with the hope to arrive and settle in Europe. But even inside the EU migrants face terrible conditions. Instead of fighting against the causes of migration, the EU is doing everything to stop people from coming. It externalises its borders through deals with other states in an attempt to keep the suffering of refugees out of sight. These arrangements aim to keep people from reaching EU-territory and easily aggravate the situations in transit countries.
The 2016 deal between the EU and Turkey is a prime example of this strategy….
Contact-Mail: solidarity2refugees@gmail.com
10th to 13th of May in Goettingen
Conference of the big coalition of Antiracism
The network for critical Migration and border regime research, the discussion group migration of Rosa-Lux-foundation, the Solidarity City network and We`ll Come United invite for a conference in Goettingen. The four networks will create their own respective programs, but some podium-debates, several workshops and a final assembly will take place together. The preparations are still in the beginning, but We`ll Come United will start for sure on Thursday, 10th of May, in the afternoon to rediscuss about the already started mobilization for the new parade in September.
Contact for Information: kmii-hanau@antira.info
June 2018: Education not Deportation … School-strike!
For June 2018 a big school-strike against deporation is in preparation, Initiative by a group of students from Nuremberg… First information on the following two websites: