Tag: balkan route

Balkanroute Calling: Caravan for Freedom of Movement (Trieste -> Border crossing Maljevac)

von Campagna Lesvos callingYaBasta Bologna

ITA – ENG – ESP – DE – FR

Balkanroute calling: carovana per la libertà di movimento

Sabato 19 giugno da Trieste a Maljevac confine croato-bosniaco

Il 29 maggio in tutta Italia e Europa iniziative di avvicinamento alla carovana, contro l’esternalizzazione delle frontiere e il rifinanziamento della guardia costiera libica.Sabato 19 giugno promuoveremo una carovana per la libertà di movimento, partendo da piazza Libertà di Trieste, crocevia di solidarietà e cura, con lo scopo di arrivare a Maljevac sulla frontiera croato-bosniaca. Attraversando stati e confini che incarnano l’ipocrisia delle politiche europee vogliamo denunciare chi attua respingimenti a catena e srotola filo spinato, per chiedere a gran voce l’apertura delle frontiere, la chiusura di qualsiasi campo di confinamento e la fine delle violenze e dei pushback.Siamo realtà sociali antirazziste e antifasciste, gruppi e associazioni impegnate nella solidarietà e nel soccorso civile via terra e via mare lungo i confini di questa Europa fortezza.
Vogliamo agire dal basso e in rete a livello europeo per creare momenti di rottura dell’ordinario e mettere in discussione fino in fondo il passato, il presente e il futuro dell’impianto securitario delle politiche sull’immigrazione.Non possiamo accettare né la politica di esternalizzazione delle frontiere, né quello che si configura come un vero e proprio regime del confine: lo abbiamo denunciato tuttə insieme a Trieste il 17 aprile, lo vogliamo rifare andando fin dove sta la frontiera esterna dell’Unione Europea, in Croazia, paese armato e pedina dell’UE lungo la balkan route nella sporca guerra contro i migranti.Saremo fisicamente presenti su quel confine perché è allo stesso tempo simbolo delle politiche europee e dispositivo materiale di contenimento, selezione dei flussi migratori e respingimento verso la Bosnia-Erzegovina. Essere a Maljevac per noi significa essere a Ceuta e Melilla, alle Canarie, a Lampedusa, a Lesvos e Evros.L’Europa e gli Stati membri continuano a sporcarsi le mani di sangue per difendere delle linee immaginarie dall’arrivo di persone, per impedire il loro movimento e negare l’accesso al diritto di asilo. Riducono in brandelli le principali Convenzioni e Costituzioni dove sono stati sanciti i diritti fondamentali, compreso quello di migrare. Basano la loro politica su dispendiosi accordi con le peggiori dittature e milizie corrotte, sulla militarizzazione dei confini con l’ausilio di Frontex e scrivono patti per rendere sistematiche la detenzione e le deportazioni.Vogliamo capovolgere una narrazione che parla costantemente di emergenza e di catastrofe umanitaria, quasi fosse una calamità naturale, senza individuare le cause e i responsabili che la determinano! Vogliamo che si cambi radicalmente rotta!Invitiamo tuttə a raccogliere il nostro appello e organizzare in occasione del 29 maggio – giorno in cui il Parlamento italiano discuterà un nuovo vergognoso finanziamento alla guardia costiera libica – iniziative di mobilitazione, assemblee, eventi pubblici contro un sistema di torture e violazioni dei diritti umani.
Verso il 19 giugno, verso la caravan for freedom of movement!- Per adesioni e informazioni: act4balkanroute@protonmail.ch

Tappe della caravan for freedom of movement:Sabato 19 giugno- > Trieste piazza della Libertà
– > confine Italia – Slovenia
– > Border Crossing Pasjak
– > Border crossing Maljevac

****************************************************

Balkanroute Calling: Caravan for Freedom of Movement

Saturday 19 June from Trieste to Maljevac on the Croatian-Bosnian border

On May 29, throughout Italy and Europe, initiatives toward the caravan, against the externalization of borders and the re-funding of the Libyan coastguard.On Saturday 19 June, we will promote a caravan for freedom of movement, starting from Piazza Libertà in Trieste, a crossroads of solidarity and care, with the aim of reaching Maljevac, on the Croatian-Bosnian border. Crossing countries and borders that embody the hypocrisy of European policies, we want to denounce those who implement chain rejections and unroll barbed wire, to demand the opening of borders, the closure of all the detention camps and the end of violence and pushbacks.We are anti-racist and anti-fascist collectives, groups and associations engaged in solidarity and civil rescue by land and by sea along the borders of this fortress Europe.We want to act from below and network at European level, in order to create moments of breaking of the ordinary and to question the past, the present and the future of the securitarian system of immigration policies.We cannot accept neither the policy of externalisation of borders, nor what is configured as a real border regime: we denounced it all together in Trieste on April 17, we want to do it again by going as far as the external border of the European Union, in Croatia, an armed country and EU pawn along the Balkan route in the dirty war against migrants.We will be physically present on that border because it is both a symbol of European policies and a material device of containment, selection of migratory flows and rejection towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. For us, being in Maljevac means being in Ceuta and Melilla, in the Canary Islands, in Lampedusa, in Lesvos and in Evros.Europe and its Member States continue to get blood on its hands, defending imaginary lines against the arrival of people, preventing their movement and denying them access to the right to asylum. They tear to shreds the main Conventions and Constitutions where fundamental rights, including the right to migrate, are enshrined. They base their policy on wasteful agreements with the worst dictatorships and corrupt militias, militarising borders with the help of Frontex, and writing pacts to make detention and deportations systematic.We want to overturn a narrative that constantly speaks of emergency and humanitarian catastrophe, as if it were a natural disaster, without identifying the causes and those responsible for it! We want a radical change!We invite everyone to take up our appeal and organise mobilisation initiatives, assemblies, public events against a system of torture and human rights violations on May 29 – the day on which the Italian Parliament will discuss a new shameful funding for the Libyan coastguard.
Towards 19 June, towards the Caravan for Freedom of Movement!-

For participation and information: act4balkanroute@protonmail.ch

Stages of the Caravan for Freedom of Movement:Saturday 19th of June- > Trieste piazza della Libertà
– > Border crossing Italy – Slovenia
– > Border crossing Pasjak
– > Border crossing Maljevac

*****************************************************

Caravana por la libertad de movimientoSábado 19 de junio, de Trieste a Maljevac, frontera croata-bosniaEl 29 de mayo en toda Italia y Europa habrá iniciativas para unirse a la Caravana contra la externalización de las fronteras y la refinanciación de la guardia costera libia.El sábado 19 de junio promoveremos una caravana por la libertad de movimiento, que partirá de la Piazza Libertà de Trieste, lugar de cruce de solidaridad y cuidados, con el objetivo de llegar a Maljevac, en la frontera croata-bosnia. Atravesando los Estados y las fronteras que encarnan la hipocresía de las políticas europeas, queremos denunciar a quienes realizan contínuas expulsiones en caliente y levantan barreras de alambre de espino, para exigir con rotundidad la apertura de las fronteras, el cierre de cualquier campo de confinamiento y el fin de la violencia y de las expulsiones en caliente.Somos organizaciones sociales antirracistas y antifascistas, grupos y asociaciones comprometidos con la solidaridad y la ayuda civil por tierra y por mar a lo largo de las fronteras de esta Europa fortaleza.
Queremos actuar “desde abajo” y en redes, a nivel europeo, para crear momentos de ruptura de lo ordinario y cuestionar el pasado, el presente y el futuro del sistema de seguridad de las políticas de inmigración.No podemos aceptar ni la política de externalización de las fronteras, ni lo que se configura como un verdadero régimen de fronteras: lo hemos denunciado en Trieste el 17 de abril, queremos hacerlo otra vez yendo a la frontera exterior de la Unión Europea, a Croacia, país armado y peón de la UE en la ruta de los Balcanes en la guerra sucia contra las personas migrantes.Estaremos físicamente presentes en esa frontera, porque es a la vez un símbolo de las políticas europeas y un dispositivo material de contención, de selección de los flujos migratorios y de las expulsiones en caliente hacia Bosnia y Herzegovina. Para quienes vayamos y para quienes nos apoyan, estar en Maljevac significa estar en Ceuta y Melilla, en las Islas Canarias, en Lampedusa, en Lesbos y Evros.Europa y sus Estados miembros siguen ensuciándose las manos de sangre para defender líneas imaginarias contra la llegada de personas, para impedir su circulación y negarles el acceso al derecho de asilo. Hacen trizas las principales Convenciones y Constituciones en las que se consagran los derechos fundamentales, incluido el derecho a emigrar. Basan su política sobre acuerdos de despilfarro con las peores dictaduras y milicias corruptas y sobre la militarización de las fronteras con la ayuda de Frontex, y escriben pactos para hacer sistemáticas las detenciones y deportaciones.Queremos dar un vuelco a una narrativa que habla constantemente de emergencia y catástrofe humanitaria, como si se tratara de una catástrofe natural, ¡sin identificar las causas ni a los responsables de la misma! ¡Queremos un cambio radical de rumbo !
Invitamos a todas las personas a que hagan suyo nuestro llamamiento y organicen el 29 de mayo – el día en que el Parlamento italiano va a debatir una nueva financiación vergonzosa a los guardacostas libios – iniciativas de movilización, asambleas, actos públicos contra un sistema de tortura y de violación de los derechos humanos.Hacia el 19 de junio, ¡hacia la caravana por la libertad de movimiento!- Para inscribirse e informarse: act4balkanroute@protonmail.ch

Etapas de la Caravana para la libertad de movimiento:Sábado 19 de junio
– > Trieste piazza della Libertà
– > Frontera italiana – Eslovenia
– > Border Crossing Pasjak
– > Border Crossing Maljevac

************************************************

Balkanroute calling – eine Karawane für die Bewegungsfreiheit

Samstag 19. Juli von Triest bis Maljevac an der kroatisch-bosnischen Grenze

Am 29. Mai finden in Italien und ganz Europa Initiativen zugunsten der Karawane statt, um gegen das Outsourcing der Grenzen und gegen die Finanzierung der lybischen Küstenwache zu demonstrieren.Am Samstag 19. Mai starten wir eine Karawane für die Bewegungsfreiheit. Ausgangspunkt ist die Piazza Libertà in Triest, das Symbol für Solidarität und Pflege der Migranten. Unser Ziel ist Maljevac an der bosnisch-kroatischen Grenze zu erreichen. Indem wir Grenzen und Staaten überqueren, welche die heuchlerische europäische Politik verkörpern, wollen wir all jene anzeigen, die Push Backs betreiben und Drahtzäune aufziehen.Wir wollen mit lauter Stimme die Öffnung der Grenzen und die Schließung der Inhaftierungslager einfordern und das Beenden der Gewalt und der gewalttätigen Zurückweisungen von Menschen verlangen.Wir bekämpfen Faschismus und Rassismus, wir sind Gruppen und Vereine die Solidarität und Hilfe auf Land und Meer bieten, entlang der Grenzen dieses Europas, das als Festung dasteht und Menschen abschiebt. Wir wollen vom Grund auf und zusammenwirkend auf europäischer Ebene agieren, um das aktuelle System zu brechen und die Fundamente der gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Einwanderungspolitik in Frage zu stellen.Wir können und dürfen das Outsourcing der Grenzen nicht akzeptieren. Ebenso akzeptieren wir diese Diktatur der Grenzen nicht. Wir haben all dies bereits am 17. April alle zusammen laut bekanntgegeben, und wir wollen es nun wieder machen, indem wir die äußere Grenze Europas und Kroatien erreichen, ein Staat der von Europa aufgerüstet wird, um diesen unfairen Krieg gegen die Immigration zu betreiben.Wir wollen physisch auf dieser Grenze anwesend sein, da diese Grenze ein Symbol der europäischen Migrationspolitik ist, ein Platz der Freiheitseinschränkung wo Migranten abgesondert und nach Bosnien und Herzegowina zurückgewiesen werden. Unsere Anwesenheit in Maljevac symbolisiert unsere Anwesenheit in Ceuta, Melilla, in den Kanarien, in Lampedusa, in Lesbos und auf Evros.Unser Europa und seine Mitgliedsstaaten beflecken sich mit Blut, um imaginäre Grenzen vor der Ankunft von Menschen zu verteidigen, um die Bewegungsfreiheit und das Recht auf politisches Asyl dieser Menschen zu vernichten. Die internationalen Abkommen und die Verfassungen dieser Staaten werden zunichte gemacht, und das grundlegende Recht zur Migration wird vernichtet. Diese Staaten schließen mit verschiedenen Diktaturen kostspielige Abkommen ab, um mit Hilfe von Frontex die Grenzen militärisch dicht zu machen und die Inhaftierung von Migranten und ihre Abschiebung alltäglich durchzuführen.Wir wollen diese Darstellungsart umkippen. Eine Darstellungsart in der andauernd nur von Notsituation und humanitärer Katastrophe gesprochen wird, so als würde es sich um eine natürliche Katastrophe handeln, wo es hingegen notwendig ist, die konkreten Gründe und Verantwortlichen ausfindig zu machen und anzuzeigen.Wir wollen einen krassen und klaren Kurswechsel!Wir laden alle dazu ein, am 29. Mai Initiative zu ergreifen, Treffen zu organisieren und die Leute zu mobilisieren, um dieses menschenrechtverletzende System anzuzeigen. Am 29. Mai wird das italienische Parlament eine neue schändliche Finanzierung an Libyen abstimmen.Auf zum 19. Juni, auf zur Karawane für die Bewegungsfreiheit!

Für Informationen und Unterstützung: act4balkanroute@protonmail.che

Etappen der Karawane:- > Triest – Piazza Liberta
– > Grenze Italien – Slowenien
– > Border Crossing Pasjak
– > Border Crossing Maljevac

*****************************************************

Balkanroute calling: caravane pour la liberté de mouvementSamedi 19 juin de Trieste à Maljevac, frontière croato-bosniaqueLe 29 mai dans toute l’Italie et l’Europe il y aura des initiatives de rapprochement à la caravane, contre l’externalisation des frontières et le refinancement des garde-côtes libyens.Le samedi 19 juin, nous promouvons une caravane pour la liberté de mouvement, à partir de la piazza Libertà de Trieste, carrefour de solidarité et de soins, dans le but d’arriver à Maljevac, sur la frontière croato-bosniaque. En traversant des États et des frontières qui incarnent l’hypocrisie des politiques européennes, nous voulons dénoncer ceux qui mettent en œuvre des refoulements en chaîne et des barbelés, pour demander à haute voix l’ouverture des frontières, la fermeture de tout camp de détention et la fin des violences et des refoulements.Nous sommes des réalités sociales antiracistes et antifascistes, des groupes et des associations engagées dans la solidarité et le secours civil par voie terrestre et maritime au long des frontières de la forteresse européenne.Nos actions partent d’en bas et visent à la construction d’un réseau européen pour créer des moments de rupture de l’ordinaire et remettre en cause le passé, le présent et l’avenir du système sécuritaire des politiques d’immigration.Nous ne pouvons accepter ni la politique d’externalisation des frontières, ni ce qui se présente comme un véritable régime de frontière : nous l’avons dénoncé ensemble à Trieste le 17 avril, et nous voulons le refaire en allant jusqu’à la frontière extérieure de l’Union Européenne, en Croatie, pays armé et pion de l’UE au long de la balkan route en cette sale guerre contre les migrants.Nous serons physiquement présent.e.s sur cette frontière, parce qu’elle est à la fois symbole des politiques européennes et dispositif matériel d’endiguement, de sélection des flux migratoires et de refoulement vers la Bosnie-et-Herzégovine. Être à Maljevac pour nous c’est être à Ceuta et Melilla, aux Canaries, à Lampedusa, à Lesvos et à Evros.L’Europe et les États membres continuent à se salir les mains pour défendre des lignes imaginaires contre l’arrivée des personnes, pour leur empêcher le mouvement et leur refuser l’accès au droit d’asile. Ils déchirent les principales Conventions et Constitutions qui consacrent les droits fondamentaux, y compris celui de migrer. Ils fondent leur politique sur des accords onéreux avec les pires dictatures et milices corrompues, sur la militarisation des frontières à l’aide de Frontex et signent des pactes pour systématiser la détention et les déportations.Nous voulons renverser ce récit qui ne parle que d’urgence et de catastrophe humanitaire, comme s’il s’agissait d’une calamité naturelle, sans pourtant identifier les causes et les responsables qui la déterminent. Nous exigeons un changement radical !Nous invitons tou.te.s à recueillir notre appel et à organiser, à l’occasion du 29 mai – quand le Parlement italien discutera un nouveau et honteux financement aux garde-côtes libyens – des initiatives de mobilisation, des assemblées, des manifestations publiques contre un système de torture et de violation des droits humains.Vers le 19 juin, vers la caravan for freedom of movement!-

Infos et adhésions : act4balkanroute@protonmail.ch

Étapes de la caravan for freedom of movement:Samedi 19 juin
– > Trieste piazza della Libertà
– > frontière Italie – Slovénie
– > Border Crossing Pasjak
– > Border Crossing Maljevac

COVID-19: No one is safe until All are protected!

Open Letter from the Transbalkan Solidarity Group

Currently there are tens of thousands of refugees and other migrants in the Balkans. Some of them are accommodated in official collective centers, while a large number of people fall outside the system, surviving through the help of the local population and support provided to them by volunteers throughout the region. Yet with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the already difficult situation in which they find themselves is becoming even more challenging and demands urgent action of those in charge – local and international actors – and solidarity from all of us.

The State of Emergency now in force in many countries of the region is a basis for the continuation and reinforcement of social inequalities and unfortunately is already serving as a rationale for the further stigmatization and repression of the most unprotected among us. But this exceptional situation must not become an excuse for continued politics of exclusion, restriction and expulsion, suffering and distress.

The fear for our own lives and the lives of those around us that we are faced with currently have for many been everyday realities for much longer. These uncertainties of the present lead us to radically question the system of geopolitical hierarchies, racial and class distinctions that divide and rank us, producing a population of undesired and rejected people across the world and in our countries alike. In these conditions we are left with nothing more than to work towards the removal of imposed inequalities based on social and citizenship status.

We therefore call for an end to all official and unofficial discriminatory and dehumanizing practices, for the end of violence at the borders, and for the legalization of everyone’s existence, for the closure of all forms of detention and collective centers that restrict freedom of movement and fail to secure humane and hygienic conditions. As individuals we call for an affirmation of the values of equality and freedom, appealing to acts of care and solidarity.

At the same time, as a form of emergency measures, we demand of the member governments of the European Union, the states of the region, and all relevant institutions and organizations to ensure that all who are forced to live on the street, in abandoned buildings without minimal sanitary conditions, or in inadequate collective centers are systematically provided accommodation in humane, safe, and sanitary conditions. We call for adequate and healthy living conditions to be secured for all, that public and other (unused, privately owned) buildings, including tourist facilities, should be put to use for this purpose. In a pandemic such as this, basic accommodations for all vulnerable people needs to be the priority of all responsible public policies and states.

In that sense, we remind that the European Union and especially the European Commission bear particular responsibility towards refugees and other migrants “stuck” in our countries. As they have openly shown with their recent actions on the Greek-Turkish border and other borders, they want to keep refugees and migrants out of their territory at all costs and using any means.

Within the framework of measures envisioned and implemented by local and state authorities as well as international organizations like IOM and their partners that have in some states of the region taken on a leading role in work with refugees and migrants, we ask for the immediate formation and activation of mobile teams to bring water and food, disinfectants, cleaning supplies, and toiletries to all those in need living outside the camps. Citizens should be included in this process without restrictions, on a voluntary basis and in line with the recommendations of health and epidemiological specialists.

We call on citizens, local and international volunteers in the region who wish to help in whatever way to respect the instructions of health experts and epidemiologists in order to reduce the possibility of putting themselves and those they help at risk. We call on everyone to cooperate and coordinate their work because only in this way can we conquer the pandemic of fear and reduce the serious risks that the most unprotected among us face.

In addition, we ask that people who already live in collective centers across the region are offered adequate protection and quality nutrition as well as hygienic conditions that support basic human dignity. Among them are many who fall into vulnerable categories such as those with chronic diseases or people with weakened immunity. It is necessary to improve care especially for these people. The collective centers in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which are managed by IOM, are probably in the worst state and below every measure of dignity. The majority of them are overcrowded, without adequate conditions for maintaining regular hygiene, regular access to warm water for bathing or clean water for drinking, and basic materials for personal hygiene and disinfection. Those responsible should provide these basic resources at all times, not only under conditions of pandemic.

We ask for the engagement of all who have the capacity and duty to act: UN agencies and their partners, especially IOM which has the greatest jurisdiction, Doctors without Borders, the International Red Cross and their local branches, Danish Refugee Council, Merhamet, Caritas, and all other organizations and groups that are in any case involved in the care of people on the move.

Finally, we demand that all people be equally afforded unrestricted access to the health care system, that people on the move – refugees and migrants – are treated without discrimination, and that concrete measures for their protection be made part of all measures for the protection of the population as a whole. We demand that people are provided with access to information in languages they understand about this virus, how it functions in local micro-contexts, as well as about how it spreads from person to person and how to protect oneself from contracting it. In the battle against this pandemic, leaving out one part of the population from protection measures will cancel out all other efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

Our governments are required by law to ensure access to emergency treatment for all people regardless of status, which COVID-19 will require for many. For this reason, we also call on the authorities to make available regular and free medical treatment for this population, especially in cases of people contracting the virus or when there is reason to suspect contagion. At the same time, this situation requires caution and openness while calling us to maintain organized support to refugees, migrants, and other groups at risk. This is required of us out of elementary humanity as well as the basic logics of public health because no one is safe until we are all protected!


COVID-19: Niko nije siguran dok svi nisu zaštićeni!

Otvoreno pismo Transbalkanske solidarnosti

Trenutno se na prostoru Balkana nalazi nekoliko desetina hiljada izbjeglica i drugih migranata. Dio je smješten u zvaničnim sabirnim centrima, ali je veliki broj ljudi izvan sistema, preživljavajući uz pomoć lokalnog stanovništva i podrške koju im pružaju dobrovoljci u cijeloj regiji. No, sa širenjem virusa COVID-19, ionako teška situacija u kojoj se nalaze, postaje još teža i zahtijeva hitnu akciju odgovornih – lokalnih i međunarodnih aktera – te solidarnost svih nas.

Izvanredno stanje, koje je danas na snazi i u mnogim zemljama regije, poluga je za održavanje i učvršćivanje društvenih nejednakosti, i nažalost već služi kao okidač daljnje stigmatizacije i represije prema najnezaštićenijima među nama. No, ova izvanredna situacija ne smije biti izlika za nastavak politika isključivanja, zatvaranja i protjerivanja, patnje i stradanja.

Strah za vlastiti život i živote drugih oko nas s kojim se suočavamo ovih dana, za mnoge je svakodnevica u kojoj dugo obitavaju. Neizvjesnost današnjice usmjerava nas na radikalno preispitivanje sustava koji nas automatizmom geopolitičkih, rasnih i klasnih podjela, dijeli i rangira, proizvodeći u svojoj obijesti suvišne i nepoželjne diljem svijeta, pa i u našim zemljama. U tim uvjetima nam ne preostaje drugo nego zahtijevati dokidanje nametnutih razlika baziranih na društvenom i državljanskom statusu.

Stoga pozivamo na ukidanje službenih i neslužbenih diskriminacijskih i dehumanizacijskih praksi, prestanak nasilja na granicama te na legalizaciju svih egzistencija, na zatvaranje svih oblika detencijskih i sabirnih centara koji ograničavaju slobodu kretanja i ne osiguravaju temeljne čovječne i higijenske uvjete. Kao pojedinci i pojedinke pozivamo na afirmaciju vrijednosti jednakosti i slobode, apelirajući na činove brižnosti i solidarnosti. 

Istodobno, kao oblik hitnih mjera, od vlada država članica Europske unije, država u regionu i svih nadležnih institucija i organizacija, zahtijevamo da sve koji su prisiljeni živjeti na ulici, u improviziranim objektima bez minimalnih sanitarnih uvjeta, ili u neadekvatnim kolektivnim objektima, organizirano omoguće smeštaj u humanim, sigurnim i sanitarnim uslovima. Zahtijevamo da se za sve osiguraju adekvatni uvjeti za život i zdravlje te da se u tu svrhu bez odlaganja prenamjene javni, turistički i drugi (prazni privatni) objekti. U jeku pandemije, primjereno zbrinjavanje svih ugroženih trebalo bi biti prioritet svake odgovorne javne politike i svih odgovornih država.

U tom smislu, podsjećamo da posebnu odgovornost prema izbjeglicama i drugim migrantima “zaglavljenim” u našim zemljama ima Europska unija i posebice Europska komisija koja ih ne birajući sredstva, ni cijenu – što otvoreno pokazaju svojim djelovanjem na grčko-turskoj i drugim granicama –  želi zadržati izvan svoje teritorije.

Tražimo da se u okviru mjera koje predviđaju i organiziraju lokalne i državne vlasti, kao i međunarodne organizacije poput IOM-a i njihovih partnera koji su u nekim državama u regiji preuzeli vodeću ulogu u radu s izbjeglicama i migrantima, po hitnom postupku organiziraju i aktiviraju mobilni timovi koji bi donosili vodu i hranu, sredstva za dezinfekciju i higijenu, svim ljudima kojima je to potrebno, a koji žive izvan kampova. U ovaj proces treba da se  uključe građani i građanke, bez ograničenja i na dobrovoljnoj osnovi, a u skladu sa preporukama zdravstvenih stručnjaka i epidemiologinja.

Građane i građanke te domaće i međunarodne volontere, koji su prisutni u regiji i koji žele na bilo koji način pomoći, pozivamo da poštuju uputstva zdravstvenih stručnjakinja i epidemiologa te tako smanje mogućnost izlaganja riziku sebe i ljudi kojima se pomaže. Pozivamo sve da surađuju i koordiniraju svoj rad, jer samo tako možemo suzbiti pandemiju straha i umanjiti ozbiljne rizike za najnezaštićenije među nama. 

Također, tražimo da se ljudima koji već žive u sabirnim centrima širom regije, omogući adekvatna zaštita i kvalitetna prehrana, kao i higijenski uslovi za dostojanstven boravak. Među njima su mnogi koji spadaju u ugrožene kategorije, kao što su hronični bolesnici ili osobe sa oslabljenim imunitetom, i potrebna im je pojačana briga. Sabirni centri u BiH, kojima upravlja IOM, su vjerovatno u najgorem stanju i ispod svakog nivoa dostojanstva. Većina ih je prenapučena, bez adekvatnih uslova za  redovno održavanje higijene, redovno snabdijevanje toplom i ispravnom vodom za piće, osnovnim sredstvima za higijenu i dezinfekciju. Ne samo u uslovima pandemije, odgovorni bi morali omogućiti pristup ovim osnovnim resursima.

Tražimo da se uključe svi koji imaju mogućnost i obaveze: UN-ove agencije i njihovi partneri, naročito IOM koji ima najviše ovlasti, te Lekari bez granica, međunarodni Crveni križ i njihova lokalna povjerenstva, Dansko vijeće za izbjeglice, Merhamet, Caritas i sve druge organizacije i grupe koje su inače uključene u zbrinjavanje ljudi u pokretu.

Konačno, zahtijevamo da se svim ljudima bez razlike omogući neometan pristup zdravstvenom sistemu, te da se i one koji su u pokretu – izbjeglice i migrante – tretira bez diskriminacije. Zahtijevamo da se u okviru mjera zaštite stanovništva predvide i konkretne mjere njihove zaštite. Zahtijevamo da im se omogući pristup informacijama, na jezicima koje razumiju, kako o tome šta je ovaj virus i kako djeluje u lokalnom mikrokontekstu, tako o načinima prenosa i načinima kako se zaštititi. U uslovima borbe protiv pandemije izostavljanje jednog dela populacije od mera zaštite anulira sve napore da se širenje zaustavi.

Naše su vlade i zakonski obavezne osigurati uvjete za takvo postupanje budući da se u slučaju liječenja i prevencije COVID-19 radi o hitnoj medicinskoj pomoći. Zato zahtevamo također, da vlasti omoguće redovan besplatan medicinski tretman za sve, a posebno u slučaju zaraze virusom ili sumnje na zarazu. Ova situacija istovremeno zahtijeva oprez i otvorenost te nas poziva na organiziranu podršku izbjeglicama, migrantima i drugim skupinama u riziku. Na to nas obvezuje elementarna čovječnost, pa i temeljna javnozdravstvena logika jer niko nije bezbedan dok svi nisu bezbedni!


https://transbalkanskasolidarnost.home.blog

The English, Serbocroation and Arabic version of this article have been published in Daily Resistance #8

THE BLACK BOOK OF PUSHBACKS

The Black Book of Pushbacks

by Border Violence Monitoring Network

To coincide with International Migrants Day on 18th December the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) have released a landmark publication on illegal border pushbacks. The ‘Black Book of Pushbacks’ brings together a wealth of evidence on these violations, analysing in detail the way that these brutal acts have become systematised at the external border and renewing calls to end impunity for perpetrating EU authorities.

CONTENTS OF THE ‘BLACK BOOK’

Pushbacks are illegal under international law, but member state authorities have long ignored such breaches of human rights which are contrary to the EU’s founding principles and international obligations. This ‘Black Book’ only includes incidents that have been directly recorded by BVMN; the real number of victims is likely to be much higher. The book covers:

  • A total of 892 group testimonies detailing the experiences of 12,654 people.
  • The violence many endured in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary along the so-called ‘Balkan route’ including maps, data, photos and other key information.
  • The types of suffering and violence perpetrated by border agents, member state police forces, soldiers – even guard dogs.
  • Documented incidents that could be clearly described as sadistic, merciless, humiliating and degrading treatment.

You can read the Black Book in full by downloading Volume I and Volume II here:

Download Volume I

Download Volume II

Ahmed H.’s trial, act two

Freedom for Röszke 11from Free the Röszke 11

Ahmed H.’s trial, act two – 2nd instance court decides Ahmed H.s terrorism charges need to be re-consider due to “lack of reasoning and interpretation”

Two days ago, on the 15th of June 2017 in Szeged, Hungary, Ahmed H. had his second instance trial, after being sentenced to 10 years of prison on the 30th of November 2016 for committing an “act of terrorism“.

The prosecution, obviously, emphasized that the first instance hearings followed European law guidelines. They demanded a higher sentence for Ahmed H., close to 17,5 years. The new lawyer, P. Bárándy – former minister of justice of the socialist-liberal coalition – seemed well prepared and questioned many contradictory interpretations of the first instance judgment.

The defense argued that the verdict is faulty, using “special” words to create a “certain” atmosphere, containing non-relevant information (for example Ahmed H’s religious affiliations) and that “there are about 200 technical errors”. The evidence, according to the defense, was used selectively to support the argument of Ahmed H. being a terrorist.

The judge decided to refer the case back to the first instance court, claiming that although the evidences were properly established, there was a lack of reasoning and interpretation. The judge also suggested, that the first instance court needs to set up if Ahmed H’s acts (especially the alleged stone throwing) were a “deliberate attempt of forcing the state” or an act of “despair” or “anger” in order to determine if the terrorism accusation is correct.

A couple of days ago, Orbán responded to the criticism of the EU parliament regarding the trial of Ahmed H., saying that “the obvious lies of Ahmed H.” are more important to Brussels than the security of Hungarians, since they ignore the “fact” that “Ahmed H. had seven passports and he convinced other migrants to break through the border.”

In the end it is necessary to doubt in the first instance court-decision and support the efforts of Ahmed H’s defense. But should we rest our hopes in the Hungarian legal system and believe in their independence? Didn’t the whole Röszke trials expose the Hungarian legal system as the willing servant of the government’s ambitions? We think that the “new” first instance trial will be as much dependent on the political atmosphere as the previous ones. In the end it is not a question of “law” and “objective reasoning” but rather a political struggle. We believe in a world of equality, dignity and freedom for all. We will keep on fighting until Ahmed H. is free and we will not fall for the attempts of creating a fiction of legality.

P.S.
Sadly, we are not financed by Gyorgy Soros, even though some honest and truthful politicians are claiming otherwise. So we still rely on your donations to help to cover the lawyer costs.

Account holder: Rote Hilfe e.V. Ortsgruppe Frankfurt
Catchword: Röszke 11
IBAN: DE24 4306 0967 4007 2383 90
BIC: GENODEM1GLS​

A report from an activist perspective on current protests in Hungary and Serbia

September 2015. Tens of thousands of people are on their way to Western Europe. Thousands are stuck at the Keleti train station in Budapest. On the 4th of September, in increasingly difficult conditions, they decide no longer to wait for the trains to take then on, but start walking towards their destination. As in the case of a collective push to open the border at the Greek-Macedonian border two weeks earlier, the goal of the March of Hope is clear: cross the Hungarian border, then go to Austria, Germany or further, with the hope of security and better living conditions. Finally in the middle of September, when the last meters of Hungarian border fence are sealed with barbed wire, there is a clash between refugees and the police in Röszke. People direct against fortress Europe of foreclosure and against the border regime as an expression of racist nationalism – and decide to disobey it and to cross the borders.

During this time, numerous convoys from Germany start to show practical solidarity on the so-called Balkan route. In catastrophic conditions, they assist people on the move, through the supply of a warm meals. The developing dynamics lead to discussions, whether this is humanitarian aid, political activism or something else. State structures benefit from the work of these people. They are now busy in reestablishing the lost control. For this, trains and buses are chartered to bring people to where they want to go. In 2017, only detention prisons and border fencing remain.


Röszke has disappeared from the media long time ago. It has become quiet in this small border village. A deceptive idyll, which only exists because Hungary has completely closed off its borders. 19 months after the refugee protests, a demonstration passes through Röszke. The participants shout: “Nem kell a kerités, szabadság!” (“We don’t need fences, freedom!”) and “Vesszen a fasizmus!” (“Down with fascism!”). They are directed at the Hungarian fascist system, which has closed all open camps, and is holding asylum seekers in a container prisons near the border. Even though much less people manage to pass through, the closing of the borders can never stop the movement of people. According to Médecins Sans Frontièrs, many people are severely wounded, many have their bones broken, in the attempts to cross. Refugees in Serbia report brutal pushbacks by the Hungarian police, which are legal at up to 8km distance from the border.

Pictures in Belgrade in April 2017 are reminiscent of pictures from the year 2015. Many people on the Balkan route are stuck there, because the surrounding states isolate themselves with powerful means. About one thousand people live in former warehouses near the railway station in Belgrade. Under a parking deck, minors sleep in tents. Several activist and humanitarian organizations are also on the ground. English courses and a sports facility are self-organized. Demonstrations and information events are being held. The most common languages spoken are Pashtu, Urdu, Farsi, English, German and Spanish. In the barracks, as the warehouses are rightly called, there is a charging station for smart-phones and improvised sanitary facilities. On the walls, signs in different colors are written: “The problem is borders” and “I am a person too”. In addition to these statements you can also read: “We need shoes”. Neither the ruins of old warehouses nor the personal equipment available are sufficient to protect people from cold and wet weather. Not only do people drown in the Mediterranean daily, but also people in the metropolis of Belgrade are dying as a consequence of the EU border regime. Even the two hot meals a day are organized by non-governmental kitchens.

At the beginning of May, the No Name Kitchen alerted via Facebook: “WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SERBIA.” The Commissioner for Migration and Refugees Serbia has announced the evacuation of the barracks. The people are to be accommodated in the official camps and forced to apply for asylum in Serbia. “The camp system in Serbia is an extended way of doing business in a fast way, is copy-pasted from other EU countries,” says the No Border Serbia collective. According to the state, camps should provide shelter and supply for refugees. In fact, they represent a further restriction of freedom for those who live in it. On the 11th of May, the evacuation starts in the early morning hours. Employees of the Commissariat for Migration and Refugees already sprayed insecticides in the halls the day before. Resistance is rising among the people living there, some of them starting a hunger strike.

Despite the protests, most of them are finally forced to get on buses. If people do not enter voluntarily, they are threatened with being deported to the closed camp in Preševo. Protest is also rising by supporting groups. The rooms of the No Name Kitchen were the first to be demolished. In the evening they write their struggle goes on, because they did not just come for cooking.

Behind the evacuation stands the large project Belgrade Waterfront of the Eagle Hills Company. New luxury buildings are planned, they would cover two million square miter of this urban area. What is described as an innovative “facelift” for the city on their website is a source of indignation. More than 200 tenants have already been deprived of their living space. Protests after the election of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić as the President of the Republic raised the topic of difficult living conditions in Serbia. Many people live extremely precariously, the average income is 350 euros a month, the youth unemployment at 44% and the social welfare system works only rudimentarily.

“Many people are fleeing from here because they have no other chance,” reports an activist. This makes it clear how difficult political activism is if one’s own existence is not adequately secured. The German government ignores this situation and in recent years has massively deported people back to the Balkan states, including some who left decades ago, or have never even lived there. This symbolizes the political pre-eminence of the German government. It has the freedom to decide on exacerbating asylum laws in the interior and relocating the devastating effects to the external borders.

The article is written by a feminist collective whose individuals are active in different anti-racist contexts. The question of how effective political activism is to be organized remains open. The decision to participate in the demonstration in Röszke and the visit to Belgrade came through existing contacts on one hand. On the other hand, it was still important to visualize the current situation on the Balkan route, as a continuation of the solidarity actions of 2015. We want to continue the discussion about (joint) political work with local activists. For this purpose, is scheduled to invite them to Germany to in September 2017.

#RefugeesSRB We Are Still in #Serbia

We are still in Belgrade. One of us joined the Cars Of Hope Wuppertal team, who are working with refugees and support the Soul Welders projects in the Serbian capital. Another short impression from Belgrade.

Written by Riot Turtle

Solidarity not charity! The situation in Belgrade changed since the last time I was here. The conditions people are forced to live in due to border closures are dehumanizing and many people work hard to stop that.

Yesterday there was a demonstration against Refugee detentions in Hungary and border closures in Röszke, at the Hungarian/Serbian border.

röszke protest Hungary

Image: Demo against Refugee detentions and border closures in Röszke, Hungary on Saturday. Image by Twitter account freetheroszke11

I had actually planned to go to the demonstration but changed my mind as we are leaving Belgrade in a few days and there are loads of work to be done here.

Yesterday we supported the shower truck of Soul Welders again. This time at the barracks behind the main train station of Belgrade.  Many refugees in Serbia live outside or in abandoned buildings and have no access to running water. Refugees can take a shower in the shower truck and get a clean towel, a t-shirt, socks and underwear. Soul Welders also distribute soap, shampoo, tooth paste and tooth brushes. The truck drives to Belgrade, the Serbian/Croatian border and the Serbian/Hungarian border. Soon we will publish an interview with Soul Welders activists about this great project.

Nobody knows how much people are living in and around the barracks. I guess there are about 1500 people here. Many people here are nervous, because they are afraid to be evicted soon. The huge construction site of the “Belgrade Waterfront” gentrification project is coming closer and closer to the barracks.

We observed that Serbian police is doing a lot of ID checks around the main train station in Belgrade. Much more compared to the last time we were here (February 2017). We also spoke with people who were intimidated by Serbian cops, especially close to the borders. People who are supporting refugees there hear sentences like: ‘The next time we see you here, we will arrest you! ”

That makes the conditions people are working in even more difficult, but the motivation to continue the work with refugees is high.

If you want to support our work with refugees, please donate.

Paypal account: carsofhopewtal@gmx.de

Bank account information :

Name of account holder: Sozialtal e.V.

Iban: DE80 3305 0000 0000 6968 49

Bic: WUPSDE33XXX

Description : Cars Of Hope

“March of Hope” > zu Fuß auf dem Weg von Belgrad zur kroatischen Grenze

Am Freitag nachmittag, 11.11.2016 haben sich 200 Geflüchtete zu Fuß auf den Weg gemacht und hoffen auf Einlass an den Pforten der Festung Europa – an der kroatischen Grenze. Unterwegs auf der Autobahn zwischen Belgrad und Zagreb, eskortiert von der Polizei. Hinter ihnen bilden sich kilometerlange Autoschlangen. Stimmung ungebrochen. Geflüchteten hatten sich auf den Weg gemacht, nachdem eine ihrer Hauptunterkünfte in Belgrad einen Tag zuvor geräumt worden war. Der Protestmarsch wurde seit dem Start von der serbischen Polizei begleitet, zwischenzeitlich in Richtung Bahngleise und dann über freies Feld geschickt. Am 13.11.2016 haben die Geflüchteten die kroatische Grenze erreicht und harren nun dort aus. Unterstützung in Form von Decken, Essen und menschlicher Solidarität ist von Menschen vor Ort unterwegs, wird von der Polizei aber bisher nicht durchgelassen. Aktuelle Berichterstattung unter dem Twitter-Hashtag #MarchOfHope

Pressemitteilung Solidarity4all – Bündnis

PM vom 25.07.2016

Stadt versucht aus politischen Gründen ein Camp das Solidarity4all – Bündnis zu verhindern

Protestcamp Bamberg 04. bis 07. August 2016 – ARE Bamberg: Stadt blockiert Verhandlungen

Ein breites Bündnis wird im August ein mehrtägiges antirassistisches Protestcamp gegen die Ankunfts- und Rückführungseinrichtung (ARE) in Bamberg mit Kundgebung vor dem Lager, Demo durch Bamberg und Protestaktionen in der Innenstadt durchführen. Mit vorgeschobenen Begründungen versucht die Stadt Bamberg unterdessen das Camp zum mehrtägigen Protest zu verhindern.*

Das Protestcamp gegen die menschenunwürdigen Zustände in der so genannten Ankunfts- und Rückführungseinrichtung (ARE) ist bereits vor Wochen beim Ordnungsamt der Stadt Bamberg angemeldet worden. Seit Beginn der Gespräche blockiert die Stadt die Verhandlungen über einen geeigneten Standort. Diverse Standortvorschläge des Solidarity4all-Bündnisses wurden abgelehnt, dabei sind z.B. die Grünflächenverordnung oder eine diffuse Bedrohung von rechts vorgeschoben worden. Die vom Bündnis präferierte „JUZ-Ost-Wiese“ wurde vom OB im Gespräch ohne triftigen Grund mit unspezifischen Sicherheitsbedenken kategorisch verweigert. Dieses Vorgehen zeigt, dass die Stadt Bamberg ein legitimes Protestcamp gegen die ARE aus politischen Motiven zu verhindern sucht. Gegenüber dem Solidarity4all-Bündnis blockiert sie alle Vorschläge und ist nicht bereit, eigene Alternativen vorzuschlagen.

Das Denkmal für die ermordeten Roma und Sinti Europas in Berlin: Kein Platz für politischen Protest, Platz für Polizeieinsatz

Statement von alle bleiben

Berlin, 24. Mai 2016. Die Polizei räumt kurz nach Mitternacht die Versammlung der Roma, die sich abends dort eingefunden hatten – um gegen ihre Abschiebungen zu protestieren und sich Bleiberechte zu erkämpfen. Familien mit teilweise sehr jungen Babys, Kindern und Jugendlichen aus Norddeutschland waren nach Berlin gekommen, damit ihre Situation von der Bundespolitik wahrgenommen werden sollte.
Wir unterstützen ihre Proteste vor Ort, weil wir ihre Anliegen teilen.

familie3Was den Betroffenen am meisten fehlt, ist Solidarität. Vor Ort waren ein paar Aktive aus antirassistischen Initiativen sowie ein paar aufmerksam gewordene PassantInnen. Zum Glück, denn das waren die einzigen, die sich auf Seiten der Roma einmischten. Die Reaktionen von offizieller Seite an diesem späten Sonntagabend waren abwehrend, abwertend und eiskalt. Alle versuchten, auf die Roma einzuwirken, damit sie diesen Ort so schnell wie möglich verlassen. Niemand stellte sich in dieser krisenhaften Situation auf die Seiten der Roma, beispielsweise damit die Polizei ihre Blockade des Eingangs beendet (was die Lage deutlich entspannt hätte). Insofern ist die Behauptung, die Räumung wäre zum Wohl der Frauen und Kinder erfolgt, eine Art umgekehrte Schutzbehauptung. Sie spricht den Frauen die Fähigkeit ab, über sich und ihre Kinder selbst zu bestimmen. Dabei war deren Entscheidung klar. Zweimal gingen die Sprecher der Familien zu den Familien, um sich zu beraten. Zweimal entschieden diese unmissverständlich, dass sie bleiben wollten – „Hierbleiben!, Hierbleiben!“ riefen sie, auf Deutsch und in Romanes.

Es wäre ein Leichtes gewesen, die Verbleib der Familien über die Nacht zu ermöglichen. Immer wieder gab es diesen Vorschlag, immer wieder wurde er abgelehnt. Die Familien wussten auch nicht, wohin.

Sie wollten gerade an diesem Denkmal für ihre Rechte kämpfen, weil sie sonst keinen Ort haben. Nirgends.

In einem irren Versuch Härte zu zeigen waren die Vertreter der Stiftung schwach und hilflos, so überfordert, so unfähig, dass sie das Gelände stundenlang von der Polizei umstellt ließen und der Öffentlichkeit den Zugang verstellten. Ihnen kam es allein darauf an, keinen „Präzedenzfall“ zu schaffen, der zu dem Zeitpunkt längst eingetreten war. Völlig abwegig ist die Annahme, den Menschen eine Übernachtung im Denkmal zu erlauben würde nach sich ziehen, dass danach täglich fünfzig Roma den Ort einnehmen würden, um gegen ihre Abschiebungen zu protestieren. Sammelabschiebungen und Aufforderungen zur freiwillligen Rückkehr lassen den wenigsten Roma die Möglichkeit, sich überhaupt dort hin zu bewegen. Der Protest ist für diese Menschen gerade an diesem Ort wichtig.

Support structures for migrants in Belgrade under attack

miksaliste refugee aid belgradeCall from NoBorders Hostel collective

Comrades, read, share, resist!

URGENT:The political management of migrations on the Balkan Route has entered into yet another phase. Ever since the EU-Turkey Deal came into force at the end of March, one of its main parts was the repression targeting both the people traveling through the Balkans and the people involved with support and solidarity structures. Enormous amounts of violence was and still is being deployed at many points along the route: from the Greek islands up to Macedonia and Bulgaria. On the other hand Serbia was up until last Sunday’s parliamentary elections the only country along the Balkan Route in which people could move more or less freely and were faced with relatively little state repression. But the worrying developments of today mean that also the situation in Serbia is changing fast and to the worse.

For more than two weeks there has been a No Border Squat in Belgrade, sheltering up to 80 people against the harsh weather and giving some privacy and resting space to people who otherwise had to sleep in the parks in town. Today at 10am a group of uniformed and civil clothed police officers entered the premises and ordered everyone in the house to move to the asylum camp Krnjaca outside of Belgrade. As the reason for this intrusion they cited the provisions of a new law that obliged people who had not been registered with the authorities yet, to move to the camp immediately. Thanks to the local and international legal support on the spot this argument of the police officers was soon discredited as it turned out that the law in question had indeed been passed but will not come into force before 28th of May 2016. But the deceiving behaviour of the police officers did not end there, rather it was just a first of many highly problematic and possibly even illegal acts that followed in the course of the day.

As seven people that stayed in NoBorderHostel were taken to the police station in order to register them there (see picture), the fear arose that the authorities will tear down the squat quickly. International supporters were intimidated as police conducted harsh ID checks that involved screaming and other threatening behaviour. The police officers talked to some construction workers who were also present at the scene. It was at that point that the news reached us that ‘Miksaliste’, a container park that is situated right next to the NoBorderHostel is being emptied. Since early December ‘Miksaliste’ has hosted many different NGOs and other basic support structures for migrants providing toilets, clothing, food, tea, showers, medical treatment and child care. Thus it became clear that it is not only the NoBorderHostel that is being targeted but that the whole support structure for migrants in Belgrade is about to be erased. It turned out that yesterday evening Miksaliste got an eviction notice from the police in which they were told to vacate the container camp within 48 hours. In case of their non-compliance the NGOs were threatened to loose their permission to continue with solidarity and support activities.

Putting these incidents into the big picture of the recent Serbian elections and the general climate towards people on the move in Europe, the repression in Belgrade clearly fits in the well established framework of pushing people into illegalization and further out of sight into the shadows of remote areas on the one hand and criminalizing support structures on the other. Eight weeks after the official closure of the Balkan Route between Macedonia and Greece, the repression and neglect of basic human rights moves further north as Serbia too steps in the EU’s line. The intention of defending Europe’s wealth becomes extraordinarily obvious in this case as both Miksaliste and NoBorderHostel are located in the area of the Belgrade Waterfront Project. Investors from Serbia and the United Emirates clearly have no interest in tolerating non-profitable venues in their interest zone.

Gentrification uncovers its ugly smile

Outrage and anger about this illegal evictions was taken into the public scene in form of a spontaneous protest at 6pm. A dozen of freshly painted banners was unrolled in the two parks around the train station that are the main stage of the migrants movement since last summer. The police showed up as soon as they heard slogans echoing from the walls. When the protest was over and the banners were collected they asked for IDs and charged four activists with a hilarious made up fine multiplied by the number of banners – for ‘littering’. Again another sign of solidarity that became target of arbitrary police repression.

What is politically symptomatic is that the sudden 180° turn of the Serbian government came immediately after the ruling party of the master of political spectacle Aleksandar Vucic consolidated its grip on power at the Sunday’s elections. His party aimed at and ultimately gained an absolute majority and while everyone was busy dissecting the electoral results, the old and new government decided to use the opportunity and redefine its policy towards the migrants. The move of the Serbian authorities should be understood in the context of decidedly repressive regime that the EU has managed to implement along the whole Balkan Route over the last weeks. Deportations of migrants as well as destruction of solidarity structures on the Greek islands, heavily militarized and extremely violent operations on the border between Greece and Macedonia and the excessive use of violence against people on the move in Bulgaria and Macedonia are the context in which the latest move of the Serbian government can seen as an implementation of the same Balkan-wide regime of total closure of the route. Another political fence along the walls of Fortress Europe is being built on the Belgrade Waterfront. Clearly, media-savy government of Serbia did not want to expose itself during the election campaign but now this caution is no longer necessary and the implementation of EU plan in Serbia can happen.

For the people involved in support and solidarity work in Belgrade and across the Balkans this is just the latest in a series of attacks on the freedom of all of us. But even as gestures of solidarity get criminalized and people are pushed into the hands of criminal associations, our resolve and determination to fight Fortress Europe does not vain. We will continue to open NoBorder squats, to cook in NoBorder kitchens and to support the people with whom we want to build a new and better Europe together in other practical ways. We are inspired by the infinite acts of resistance and courage from our co-travelers from other parts of the world. It is because of them that the border regime broke down in the first place and it is because of them that our solidarity efforts make sense. You cannot evict a movement.

NoBorders Hostel collective
#BelgradeRefugeeFront
26th April 2016

Next Page »