Meanwhile everyday exhausted newcomers are arriving from the border of Turkey, where they are kept like animals in degrading detention centres. Some of them remain homeless after their arrival in Greece and are forced to sleep on the streets and in the parks. Nowadays not even that is possible. Not just because of the cold weather conditions or the police that has started a war against the undocumented and the „unwanted“, patrolling the streets, yelling at them to leave, even kicking women and minors away and taking their blankets and clothes from them. Nowadays its because one has to be afraid of Greece’s neonazis.
More than five Afghan families with small children and unaccompanied minors are living in a park nearby Attiki – some of them for more than two months. Some of the families moved somewhere else, because they were very afraid of and horrified by the police. There is a small child with a heart problem, a women alone with her three children, an unaccompanied minor with a swolen eye, children sitting in the cold wearing a T-Shirt, shorts and sandals.
The police came and took our clothes and our blankets away. They were yelling at us. They kicked my leg. I still can’t walk. They want us to leave!
They say there are some fascists nearby. We are afraid to go to Attiki. Here they also come and yell at us. I don’t understand what they say.
We want to go somewhere safe. We don’t have any money. Maybe we can borrow a little money in order that two of us can move on to other European countries. But there is not money fort he rest of us. We don’t want to stay here, but what can we do? Will my boy get asylum if I send him to Europe?
I am alone, my husband died. I have only my three children. Who should help us?
Immigration: Manganelli wants to expand cooperation to Turkey and Greece | 28th September 2010
Italy – Greece – Turkey
According to the Chief of Police Antonio Manganelli, it is possible to block the landing of illegal immigrants at the coast of Salento ‘through the expansion of international cooperation to Turkey and Greece,’ Manganelli said to a journalist on the way to Lecce, where a mass was to be held in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, patron of the State Police. ‘We have worked well with a number of countries in West Africa and with Libya. We have reset landings on Lampedusa. But we have a problem,’ Manganelli admitted, ‘We are still open for those, crossing the routes through Turkey. I was in Greece last month to talk about this problem with them. Rodolfo Ronconi, Central Director of Immigration and Border Police at the Italian Ministry of Interior is going to visit Turkey in the next view days. After Lecce,’ Manganelli said, ‘I will leave for Brussels to meet the heads of the European and African police forces to discuss precisely this issue.’
Since five days the fascist neighbourhood movement of St. Panteleimon and
Attiki is occupying and defending the Attiki Square from the “unwanted” refugees
living in that area. Even members of the movement are entering migrants shops
shouting at people and threatening them. This reality has become daily life.
Meanwhile everyday exhausted newcomers are arriving from the border of Turkey, where they are kept like animals in degrading detention centres. Some of them remain homeless after their arrival in Greece and are forced to sleep on the streets and in the parks. Nowadays not even that is possible. Not just because of the cold weather conditions or the police that has started a war against the undocumented and the „unwanted“, patrolling the streets, yelling at them to leave, even kicking women and minors away and taking their blankets and clothes from them. Nowadays its because one has to be afraid of Greece’s neonazis.
More than five Afghan families with small children and unaccompanied minors are living in a park nearby Attiki – some of them for more than two months. Some of the families moved somewhere else, because they were very afraid of and horrified by the police. There is a small child with a heart problem, a women alone with her three children, an unaccompanied minor with a swolen eye, children sitting in the cold wearing a T-Shirt, shorts and sandals.
Meanwhile everyday exhausted newcomers are arriving from the border of Turkey, where they are kept like animals in degrading detention centres. Some of them remain homeless after their arrival in Greece and are forced to sleep on the streets and in the parks. Nowadays not even that is possible. Not just because of the cold weather conditions or the police that has started a war against the undocumented and the „unwanted“, patrolling the streets, yelling at them to leave, even kicking women and minors away and taking their blankets and clothes from them. Nowadays its because one has to be afraid of Greece’s neonazis.
More than five Afghan families with small children and unaccompanied minors are living in a park nearby Attiki – some of them for more than two months. Some of the families moved somewhere else, because they were very afraid of and horrified by the police. There is a small child with a heart problem, a women alone with her three children, an unaccompanied minor with a swolen eye, children sitting in the cold wearing a T-Shirt, shorts and sandals.
The police came and took our clothes and our blankets away. They were yelling at us. They kicked my leg. I still can’t walk. They want us to leave!
They say there are some fascists nearby. We are afraid to go to Attiki. Here they also come and yell at us. I don’t understand what they say.
We want to go somewhere safe. We don’t have any money. Maybe we can borrow a little money in order that two of us can move on to other European countries. But there is not money fort he rest of us. We don’t want to stay here, but what can we do? Will my boy get asylum if I send him to Europe?
I am alone, my husband died. I have only my three children. Who should help us?
Article
published in la Repubblica about Italy’s attemp to stop immigration
via Turkey and Greece
Immigration: Manganelli wants to expand cooperation to Turkey and Greece | 28th September 2010
According to the Chief of Police Antonio Manganelli, it is possible to block the landing of illegal immigrants at the coast of Salento ‘through the expansion of international cooperation to Turkey and Greece,’ Manganelli said to a journalist on the way to Lecce, where a mass was to be held in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, patron of the State Police. ‘We have worked well with a number of countries in West Africa and with Libya. We have reset landings on Lampedusa. But we have a problem,’ Manganelli admitted, ‘We are still open for those, crossing the routes through Turkey. I was in Greece last month to talk about this problem with them. Rodolfo Ronconi, Central Director of Immigration and Border Police at the Italian Ministry of Interior is going to visit Turkey in the next view days. After Lecce,’ Manganelli said, ‘I will leave for Brussels to meet the heads of the European and African police forces to discuss precisely this issue.’
Immigration: Manganelli wants to expand cooperation to Turkey and Greece | 28th September 2010
According to the Chief of Police Antonio Manganelli, it is possible to block the landing of illegal immigrants at the coast of Salento ‘through the expansion of international cooperation to Turkey and Greece,’ Manganelli said to a journalist on the way to Lecce, where a mass was to be held in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, patron of the State Police. ‘We have worked well with a number of countries in West Africa and with Libya. We have reset landings on Lampedusa. But we have a problem,’ Manganelli admitted, ‘We are still open for those, crossing the routes through Turkey. I was in Greece last month to talk about this problem with them. Rodolfo Ronconi, Central Director of Immigration and Border Police at the Italian Ministry of Interior is going to visit Turkey in the next view days. After Lecce,’ Manganelli said, ‘I will leave for Brussels to meet the heads of the European and African police forces to discuss precisely this issue.’
Hunger strike in Horst (Germany)
But people do fight back | 26th September 2010
More school-age children have been sent from Hamburg to Horst, despite an agreement to the contrary. A fascist attack occurred on a refugee who is forced to live in Horst. It is the second week of protests in Horst, where the refugees are still waiting for an opportunity to finally talk about their demands with the camp management.
On Wednesday, the camp management and the interior ministry invited politicians and selected journalists to visit the facilities in a desperate attempt to silence the 300 people who live there. No attempt has been made to talk to the refugees about their demands.
On Saturday, 25th September several people and solidarity groups from various cities visited the refugees to reassure them of their support. The attempt to visit them was stopped at the gate, due to a general ban on visits. Whenever we asked in the past why the IDs of everyone wanting to visit were checked, we were given the excuse that told that the camp was open, the people were free and the checkpoints were only for the protection of the refugees.
So we were back in the friendly car park, which the children immediately started decorating. A portable photo studio soon revealed how many children are living here and are being condemned not to go to school, because they are forced to stay in the camp. At least two Afghani families with school-age children have been brought here from Hamburg. This is against a coalition agreement between the government of Hamburg and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which states that no child, and especially no school-age child is to be sent to Horst.
We also talked to a 19 year old Afghani woman who has been in the camp for nine months. Her family, including smaller siblings, is living in Cologne, but she was denied permission to visit them. Another young man from Afghanistan, who is now staying there for a year, has been denied permission to go to school and learn German. He should be happy with the one hour per week lessons he is getting at the camp and wait for another 10 months when he would be allowed to go to Hamburg, he was told. Condemned to 22 months of doing nothing.
The people in Horst and other camps are being robbed of their lives by bureaucrats who keep them locked up and control them. They do this thinking that these people won’t have a chance to resist, get help or even find out about their rights.
But people do fight back, like they do in Horst. And we will continue to publish the stories they tell us until they are all free and all the camps are demolished.
As if all this wasn’t enough, when we left we were told about this incident: in the evening of the 18th September, an African refugee was attacked 2 km away from the camp on the road leading to Boizenburg. Two Nazis hit him with a beer bottle over the head and continued to kick him when he was already lying on the ground. When a car drove past, the Nazis left. The refugee dragged himself to the camp bleeding and informed the security, who called the police and paramedics. He laid a complaint with the police and was interviewed by them in Boizenburg but wasn’t taken to hospital until the next morning. He stayed in hospital for four days. The police told us that they were investigating the complaint.
Hunger strike in Horst (Germany) II
Rally outside the camp in Horst | 23rd September 2010
11 days ago, a young refugee decided to go on a hunger strike to protest against the inhumane conditions in the camp in Horst. Other refugees joined him, and together with supporters from the outside, the pressure on the camp management has been increased. So yesterday, the camp management invited government officials, political parties, the refugee council and selected journalists to visit the camp in order to counter the images the public have seen in recent days with their propaganda.
It soon became obvious that the journalists who were invited were those who had written negatively about the camp. A photographer and a reporter from the magazine “Spiegel”, as well as other major news agencies had to obey the ban on visits that had been in force since the hunger strike began and had to wait outside.
Solidarity groups had organized a rally outside the camp to make sure that the journalists would see and hear the messages of the refugees. Immediately the refugees joined them, children drew pictures on the ground and others put up banners. Their demands were read out in Farsi, Serbo-Croatian, English, French and Arabic. Hearing their demands through the PA system gave people strength and as soon as the music played, the children started to dance. It didn’t take long for the rest to join and all the people who had told us their stories in the last few days were able to dance away their worries for a moment. People were singing, the fence was covered with banners and all that was missing was the delegation.
The delegation came precisely at 2 pm in expensive suits and equally expensive cars. They were ushered inside to avoid any contact with the refugees. But the refugees followed them with their banners and told them about their demands. Soon, the delegation disappeared behind a building. We found them squashed together in a corner where they were told that they were not to leave the prepared route. We had the impression that they were being ‘protected’ from the refugees to make sure they didn’t talk to them.
The first stop was the sick bay, which was squeaky-clean and tidy. What the delegation didn’t get to see was this: This is the place where for years the doctor has neglected her duty and maltreated her patients. Where the only ‘treatment’ consisted of painkillers.
The second stop was the canteen. None of the refugees were allowed in and of course again, everything was squeaky-clean. Everything looked nice and there was a bottle with water on every table. The highlight was the specially prepared meal plan for the week. What the delegation didn’t get to see: The meal plans had absolutely nothing to do with the food that was being served. They weren’t posted anywhere in the camp either. The delegation also couldn’t see the queue of 400 people outside the kitchen that was designed for 150. They didn’t see the shop – the only opportunity for the refugees to buy their supplies without having to walk all the way to the next town. And how little the 40 Euro the refugees receive per moth buy them at the shop. No receipts either, so someone is making a healthy profit here. A young man from Afghanistan said that he wished the delegation would come more often because at least on that day they were given good food.
By this time, some members of the delegation were getting tired of the lie the management were telling and started leaving the tour to talk to the refugees.
Next stop was the clothes supply, which miraculously had filled up with all sorts of clothes. What the delegation didn’t get to see: refugees wearing t-shirts because they weren’t given a sweater. And the book that records every item that was handed out.
The guided tour went on to a ‘showroom’. What the delegation didn’t get to see: the fact that the doors have no locks so that the staff can enter at any time without warning. The fact that mothers can’t cook meals for their babies, because there are no facilities for such things. The fact that many women are afraid to sleep in a room that can’t be locked.
The next stop was the kindergarten. What the delegation didn’t see: a 9 year old child had to leave the kindergarten because it was too old. However, the child isn’t allowed to go to school, so the kindergarten is the only place it can go to. There is nothing to do for children in Horst. An ex-inmate told us: “If we are supposed to learn the language and integrate ourselves, we need to be able to live with you. As long as we are locked up here we will never learn the language.”
What the delegation didn’t get to see in the living area: the day before, a young man from Afghanistan who had just received notice that he would have to stay in Horst for several more months, had thrown himself against a glass door. He was badly injured and bleeding and was taken to hospital. Many others saw him being taken away but didn’t know what had happened, so they were scared. Last night the police came in the middle of the night to arrest and deport two men from Algeria.
During the tour of lies, the people outside demanded that the delegation speaks to the refugees instead of listening to the fabricated stories from the management. Finally some delegates talked to them. The refugees had high hopes that something would change. But most delegates left the camp quietly through the rear entrance – they probably knew that they would have to face awkward questions at the front.
After the show was over, two refugees pressed charges against members of the camp management. One complaint was against a medical staff member who had verbally abused the Somali husband of a sick woman for having sought medical help outside the camp after she didn’t receive any treatment inside. The outside doctor had ordered her to be treated in hospital urgently. The second complaint is against a staff member for telling one of the hunger strikers that he might as well stop because he would get deported anyway.
The refugees told us that yesterday had been a wonderful day with good food and plenty of joy. A day with people who are on their side and who listen and sometimes even have answers to their questions. A day where they could forget their worries for a few hours and be happy together. They asked us if we would continue to come and support them once they stopped their hunger strike. We assured them that of course we would continue to come and fight with them to break their isolation until the camp has sunk into the ground. Not just here in Horst but everywhere.
Hunger strike in Horst (Germany) I
Day 10 | 17th September 2010
Ten days after the start of the hunger strike in the refugee camp in Horst (a small town approximately 100 km east of Hamburg), the refugees gathered again in the canteen to emphasize their demands.
Although the hunger strike has left its mark on the refugees, they are still determined. The camp management is trying to break their resolve with repression, threats and isolation. While at the beginning of the hunger strike, the management started to cancel the work opportunities for the refugees and closed the common rooms, they now resort to taking down the details of those who speak to the press. They also openly threaten with deportation. Despite all this, a lot of people have been showing solidarity with their struggeling neighbors. Also ctivists from various cities are among the supporters.
During the past year, the refugees have managed to draw attention to their disastrous situation. More and more media are arriving at the camp to get a picture of the situation. On Saturday, Mehmed Yildis, a member of the Hamburg Parliament from the party “Die Linke”, visited the refugee camp together with journalists. However, they we were denied access, and so far no journalists or anyone else have been allowed in.
So the supporters had to gather in the parking lot next to the camp. In the many conversations that were held through the fence, the seriousness of the situation for the refugees became clear. The biggest concern is the medical situation. Many refugees report that the only remedy for any medical condition has been Paracetamol (a plain painkiller).
A young man told the story of his visit to the doctor in a nearby town, after he had collapsed in the camp. After a long examination, the doctor told him to exercise more, and maybe cycle. When he replied that he couldn’t afford a bike, the young man was told: “You’re out of luck”.
We met a family with two children, one of whom is disabled, already has had 5 operations and is likely to require more. Still, the family is held in the camp, where there is no adequate medical care available.
We agree with the refugees that Horst, as well as all other camps, has to be closed down. We will continue to stand alongside the people in the camp and support them in their struggle – before, during and after the hunger strike. We learned today, how important support is for the people and we are hoping for many more people to join.
Tomorrow there will be a visit by officials from the state government. We saw many deliveries being made to the camp today – apparently to create the image of a “humane accommodation for asylum seekes” (according to the camp manager).
Freedom of Movement and the right to stay for all!
More school-age children have been sent from Hamburg to Horst, despite an agreement to the contrary. A fascist attack occurred on a refugee who is forced to live in Horst. It is the second week of protests in Horst, where the refugees are still waiting for an opportunity to finally talk about their demands with the camp management.
On Wednesday, the camp management and the interior ministry invited politicians and selected journalists to visit the facilities in a desperate attempt to silence the 300 people who live there. No attempt has been made to talk to the refugees about their demands.
On Saturday, 25th September several people and solidarity groups from various cities visited the refugees to reassure them of their support. The attempt to visit them was stopped at the gate, due to a general ban on visits. Whenever we asked in the past why the IDs of everyone wanting to visit were checked, we were given the excuse that told that the camp was open, the people were free and the checkpoints were only for the protection of the refugees.
So we were back in the friendly car park, which the children immediately started decorating. A portable photo studio soon revealed how many children are living here and are being condemned not to go to school, because they are forced to stay in the camp. At least two Afghani families with school-age children have been brought here from Hamburg. This is against a coalition agreement between the government of Hamburg and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which states that no child, and especially no school-age child is to be sent to Horst.
We also talked to a 19 year old Afghani woman who has been in the camp for nine months. Her family, including smaller siblings, is living in Cologne, but she was denied permission to visit them. Another young man from Afghanistan, who is now staying there for a year, has been denied permission to go to school and learn German. He should be happy with the one hour per week lessons he is getting at the camp and wait for another 10 months when he would be allowed to go to Hamburg, he was told. Condemned to 22 months of doing nothing.
The people in Horst and other camps are being robbed of their lives by bureaucrats who keep them locked up and control them. They do this thinking that these people won’t have a chance to resist, get help or even find out about their rights.
But people do fight back, like they do in Horst. And we will continue to publish the stories they tell us until they are all free and all the camps are demolished.
As if all this wasn’t enough, when we left we were told about this incident: in the evening of the 18th September, an African refugee was attacked 2 km away from the camp on the road leading to Boizenburg. Two Nazis hit him with a beer bottle over the head and continued to kick him when he was already lying on the ground. When a car drove past, the Nazis left. The refugee dragged himself to the camp bleeding and informed the security, who called the police and paramedics. He laid a complaint with the police and was interviewed by them in Boizenburg but wasn’t taken to hospital until the next morning. He stayed in hospital for four days. The police told us that they were investigating the complaint.
Hunger strike in Horst (Germany) II
Rally outside the camp in Horst | 23rd September 2010
11 days ago, a young refugee decided to go on a hunger strike to protest against the inhumane conditions in the camp in Horst. Other refugees joined him, and together with supporters from the outside, the pressure on the camp management has been increased. So yesterday, the camp management invited government officials, political parties, the refugee council and selected journalists to visit the camp in order to counter the images the public have seen in recent days with their propaganda.
It soon became obvious that the journalists who were invited were those who had written negatively about the camp. A photographer and a reporter from the magazine “Spiegel”, as well as other major news agencies had to obey the ban on visits that had been in force since the hunger strike began and had to wait outside.
Solidarity groups had organized a rally outside the camp to make sure that the journalists would see and hear the messages of the refugees. Immediately the refugees joined them, children drew pictures on the ground and others put up banners. Their demands were read out in Farsi, Serbo-Croatian, English, French and Arabic. Hearing their demands through the PA system gave people strength and as soon as the music played, the children started to dance. It didn’t take long for the rest to join and all the people who had told us their stories in the last few days were able to dance away their worries for a moment. People were singing, the fence was covered with banners and all that was missing was the delegation.
The delegation came precisely at 2 pm in expensive suits and equally expensive cars. They were ushered inside to avoid any contact with the refugees. But the refugees followed them with their banners and told them about their demands. Soon, the delegation disappeared behind a building. We found them squashed together in a corner where they were told that they were not to leave the prepared route. We had the impression that they were being ‘protected’ from the refugees to make sure they didn’t talk to them.
The first stop was the sick bay, which was squeaky-clean and tidy. What the delegation didn’t get to see was this: This is the place where for years the doctor has neglected her duty and maltreated her patients. Where the only ‘treatment’ consisted of painkillers.
The second stop was the canteen. None of the refugees were allowed in and of course again, everything was squeaky-clean. Everything looked nice and there was a bottle with water on every table. The highlight was the specially prepared meal plan for the week. What the delegation didn’t get to see: The meal plans had absolutely nothing to do with the food that was being served. They weren’t posted anywhere in the camp either. The delegation also couldn’t see the queue of 400 people outside the kitchen that was designed for 150. They didn’t see the shop – the only opportunity for the refugees to buy their supplies without having to walk all the way to the next town. And how little the 40 Euro the refugees receive per moth buy them at the shop. No receipts either, so someone is making a healthy profit here. A young man from Afghanistan said that he wished the delegation would come more often because at least on that day they were given good food.
By this time, some members of the delegation were getting tired of the lie the management were telling and started leaving the tour to talk to the refugees.
Next stop was the clothes supply, which miraculously had filled up with all sorts of clothes. What the delegation didn’t get to see: refugees wearing t-shirts because they weren’t given a sweater. And the book that records every item that was handed out.
The guided tour went on to a ‘showroom’. What the delegation didn’t get to see: the fact that the doors have no locks so that the staff can enter at any time without warning. The fact that mothers can’t cook meals for their babies, because there are no facilities for such things. The fact that many women are afraid to sleep in a room that can’t be locked.
The next stop was the kindergarten. What the delegation didn’t see: a 9 year old child had to leave the kindergarten because it was too old. However, the child isn’t allowed to go to school, so the kindergarten is the only place it can go to. There is nothing to do for children in Horst. An ex-inmate told us: “If we are supposed to learn the language and integrate ourselves, we need to be able to live with you. As long as we are locked up here we will never learn the language.”
What the delegation didn’t get to see in the living area: the day before, a young man from Afghanistan who had just received notice that he would have to stay in Horst for several more months, had thrown himself against a glass door. He was badly injured and bleeding and was taken to hospital. Many others saw him being taken away but didn’t know what had happened, so they were scared. Last night the police came in the middle of the night to arrest and deport two men from Algeria.
During the tour of lies, the people outside demanded that the delegation speaks to the refugees instead of listening to the fabricated stories from the management. Finally some delegates talked to them. The refugees had high hopes that something would change. But most delegates left the camp quietly through the rear entrance – they probably knew that they would have to face awkward questions at the front.
After the show was over, two refugees pressed charges against members of the camp management. One complaint was against a medical staff member who had verbally abused the Somali husband of a sick woman for having sought medical help outside the camp after she didn’t receive any treatment inside. The outside doctor had ordered her to be treated in hospital urgently. The second complaint is against a staff member for telling one of the hunger strikers that he might as well stop because he would get deported anyway.
The refugees told us that yesterday had been a wonderful day with good food and plenty of joy. A day with people who are on their side and who listen and sometimes even have answers to their questions. A day where they could forget their worries for a few hours and be happy together. They asked us if we would continue to come and support them once they stopped their hunger strike. We assured them that of course we would continue to come and fight with them to break their isolation until the camp has sunk into the ground. Not just here in Horst but everywhere.
Hunger strike in Horst (Germany) I
Day 10 | 17th September 2010
Ten days after the start of the hunger strike in the refugee camp in Horst (a small town approximately 100 km east of Hamburg), the refugees gathered again in the canteen to emphasize their demands.
Although the hunger strike has left its mark on the refugees, they are still determined. The camp management is trying to break their resolve with repression, threats and isolation. While at the beginning of the hunger strike, the management started to cancel the work opportunities for the refugees and closed the common rooms, they now resort to taking down the details of those who speak to the press. They also openly threaten with deportation. Despite all this, a lot of people have been showing solidarity with their struggeling neighbors. Also ctivists from various cities are among the supporters.
During the past year, the refugees have managed to draw attention to their disastrous situation. More and more media are arriving at the camp to get a picture of the situation. On Saturday, Mehmed Yildis, a member of the Hamburg Parliament from the party “Die Linke”, visited the refugee camp together with journalists. However, they we were denied access, and so far no journalists or anyone else have been allowed in.
So the supporters had to gather in the parking lot next to the camp. In the many conversations that were held through the fence, the seriousness of the situation for the refugees became clear. The biggest concern is the medical situation. Many refugees report that the only remedy for any medical condition has been Paracetamol (a plain painkiller).
A young man told the story of his visit to the doctor in a nearby town, after he had collapsed in the camp. After a long examination, the doctor told him to exercise more, and maybe cycle. When he replied that he couldn’t afford a bike, the young man was told: “You’re out of luck”.
We met a family with two children, one of whom is disabled, already has had 5 operations and is likely to require more. Still, the family is held in the camp, where there is no adequate medical care available.
We agree with the refugees that Horst, as well as all other camps, has to be closed down. We will continue to stand alongside the people in the camp and support them in their struggle – before, during and after the hunger strike. We learned today, how important support is for the people and we are hoping for many more people to join.
Tomorrow there will be a visit by officials from the state government. We saw many deliveries being made to the camp today – apparently to create the image of a “humane accommodation for asylum seekes” (according to the camp manager).
Freedom of Movement and the right to stay for all!
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