Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich:

Stand up against Deportations within Europe!

„Dublin II means: They play football with us. They kick us from one country to the next, they play with us and they waste our time.“

(Teenager from Afghanistan, who crossed half of Europe on his flight before being deported to Hungary)

We all know about deportations – but the fact that about one third of all deportations take place within Europemight be unknown to many. Last year, almost three thousand so called „Dublin-Transfers“ from Germany were carried out. The legal basis for this is the so called Dublin II regulation. Unlike suggested by this name, the persons affected by this regulation are not being deported to Dublin, but in most cases to Rome, Milan, Budapest or Malta.

The Dublin II Regulation lays down rules on which European state is in charge for processing an application for asylum. With few exceptions, it thereby follows the “principle of causation”: Having “caused” the entry of the asylum seeker by issuing a visa or by not properly protecting its borders, the first member state in which the asylum seeker sets foot is held responsible for the examination of the application for asylum. If the refugee applies for asylum in another member state and this is detected, e.g. by means of an entry in the European fingerprint database EuroDAC, he or she will be deported to the state “in charge“. Thus, the central European states (particularly Germany and France) got rid of their responsibility for refugees by shifting it on to the states on the external borders of Europe.

Many refugees are fighting back desperately – and we will stand up in support on March 30th at different airports! For due to the Dublin II regulation refugees are threatened with deportation even before their asylum procedure actually started. Many of them lived through several years of odyssey through Europe, searching for protection, fleeing not only the situation in their country of origin, but now even detention under inhumane conditions in Hungary, homelessness and hunger in Italy or complete lack of prospects in Malta as well as fearing deportation to a persecutory state from Poland.

“If you want to understand what Hungary means for refugees, then you have to try to understand what it means living for six months in a prison only bearable with Tramadol [Tranquilizer]. Hungary is the only European country I know where people get detained in high security prisons only because they requested asylum. And this even though Hungary signed the refugee convention [United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees].” (Refugee from Iran, in a deportation camp in Hungary)

In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights judged that the situation for refugees in Greece constitutes a breach of human rights. Almost all Member States were forced to abandon transfers to Greece. But in Italy, the refugees' situation is not any better: Many have to live in makeshift shacks made from plastic sheets near the train stations of Rome, Ostiense or Ponte Mammolo.

„We couldn't stay in Italy, because there are no human rights. We didn't have anything to eat. We didn't have accommodation. The basic things. Without a roof over one's head, one lives like an animal. As soon as you obtain documents, they will call upon you: „Today, you have to leave!“ (Refugee from Eritrea, threatened with deportation to Italy)

Although there are fewer “transfers” to Malta, the lack of prospects is similarly grave, nevertheless. For this, it is no coincidence that in the last year it were mainly transfers of Somali refugees to Malta, which have been fought against by the affected persons, who were supported by local activists.

“I was arrested for 18 months in Hal Far [detention camp in Malta]. After I was released, I lived in a tent city. When I got a job, I left for three days, but wanted to return. As I came back, they said: 'You cannot sleep here any longer, because you didn't sign the list for three days.' They said: 'You are 'out of system'.' I asked them, who would help me, being 'out of system'. But they just said: 'Well, you now have to figure this out by yourself.' (Refugee from Sudan, in Malta since 6 years)

For refugees from Chechnya, Polish closed camps are like prisons. Furthermore, food as well as medical assistance provided there is absolutely insufficient. In addition to this, they have to fear being deported to the persecutor state Russia, a fact that forms the main reason for resuming their flight to other European countries.

“In Poland, my application for asylum was rejected two times, even though I have been arrested and tortured several times in Chechnya and obtained a confirmation by the Human Rights Organisation Memorial/Moscow proving that me and my family are in danger. Still, Poland executes deportations to the Russian Federation. If I can't stay in Germany, I will move on.” (Refugee from Chechnya living inBerlin, at risk of so-called chain (i.e. repeated) deportations)

Stand up together!

Resistance against inter-European deportations indeed pays off, because there is a particularity about the Dublin II Regulation: Transfers from Germany have to be executed within a time frame of normally six months. If this is failed, the application for asylum has to be examined by German authorities.

„I will not let them deport me to Italy once more without further ado. If we remain silent, nothing will ever change. The refugees' situation in Italy is a constant violation of our human rights. Like many other young people, I fled from the permanent human rights abuse in Eritrea. Here in Europe, we experience once more being forced to live under degrading conditions.“ (Refugee from Eritrea, deported from Frankfurt to Italy on December 20th, 2011)

We call out to support refugees, who courageously fight for their rights! Take a stand with us on March 30th: Stand up against inter-European deportations! We invite everyone to show civil courage: Organize church asylum to bridge the time limit of six months. If flying to Rome, Milan, Budapest or Malta: Watch out for passengers who don't seem to travel voluntarily. And if someone stands up – stand up in support!

„Now I can see clearly how Europe really is: Sending its army to fight us at sea and putting us in terrible prisons. Together, we have to start another journey. A journey to a safe place, which might exist one day.“ (Woman from Eritrea, arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos)

We will accept this invitation. Standing up against inter-European deportations is the first step along the way. One of the stations of this common journey is will be March 30th, 2012. There will be simultaneous protests against intra-European deportations taking place at the airports of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

From July 13th to July 22th, 2012, there will be an antiracist action camp taking place in Cologne and on July 22th a mass demonstration at Düsseldorf airport.

Stop deportation!

Towards a different, welcoming Europe!

On Friday, March 30th, 2012 in:

+++ Berlin (Tegel airport) at 5 p.m. +++ Düsseldorf airport at 5 p.m. +++ Frankfurt  (terminal 1) at 5 p.m. +++ Hamburg (terminal 1) at 6 p.m. +++ Munich airport at 5 p.m. +++

Web: http://dublin2.info/

Contact: kampagne@dublin2.info