AAC Freitag "Fortress Europe"

Hyacienth Nguh Tebie, FlüchtlingsinitiativeBrandenburg (FIB) zur den Lebensbedingungen von Flüchtlingen inDeutschland

"INTRODUCTION:

Ladies and gentlemen,true friends of Africa, warm greetings to you allthis morning.

on the occasion of the Anti-colonial Africa conference, we want to drawpublic attention to the concept of "FORTRESS EUROPE".

For more than 200 years,the African continent and its people havealways been and remain a tadget to Europe and the U.S :

With respect to colonisation, Africans have in the past beenbrutalised,discriminated, divided, corrupted, tortured, enslaved,dominateddisgraced , humiliated and executed . In particular, resistance toGermancolonial rule was handled by execution in concentration camps.

In contemporary times,independence has been given to Africa just merelyas a formality. In reality the new forms of colonisation andneo-colonisation put in place by European nations to totally vanish theresources of Africa are major issues to be adressed: This entailsEuropeshould ask for excuses and pay reparations to Africa for all the evilsand destructions : colonisation ,a violation of human rights,the bloodyoccupation of the entire African continent and the massive extaminationof the people.

As earlier mentioned ,colonisation is an evil against humanity,itsperpetrators only have their economic interest at the top. Thisexplainswhy some areas are tadgets. When there is a tadget, there are bound tobe victimisations. This is the case of the African continent and itspeople.

European countries in order to protect their economic interest inAfrica corrupt Africans to fight against others, sponsor and supportdictatorship governments in Africa,putting the entire African continentpolitically unstable. As a direct consequence the African people areforced to migrate.

DEFINATION:

The concept of "FORTRESS EUROPE", entails harmonisation of controls soas to close all the borders of Europe from outsiders ,and to put thosewho are already inside on a run. This is done through:

-INCREASING CONVERGENCE OF STRUCTURES AND POLICIES TOWARDS THE CREATIONOF A STRONGER INNER EUROPE.

-INCREASING POLICY DECISION MAKING BY INTER GOVERNMENTAL AND NON ECACCOUNTABLE NETWORKS.

-STRENGTHENING OF BORDER CONTROLS AND HARMONISATION OF POLICIES FOREXCLUSION.

What is clear is that present policies and exclusionary practices onwhat ever levels directed on asylum seekers and refugees are primarilyframed within a scope of threat and necessary compensation forpotential freedoms. This should keep Africans from coming closer to theexternal borders of Europe .e.g the larger in lybia.

With the growing ideology of fortress europe, on the occasion of theANTI-COLONIAL AFRICA CONFERENCE, we would draw public attention toFortress Germany , a fortress in a fortress ,that is meant to putmigrants and asylum seekers,especially those from Africa who are inGermany on escape.

Particular attention will be payed to Brandenburg,where we arecurrently found. Here the inhuman,hostile discriminative,racist andexclusionist treatment is cause for concern. The manner in which thestate potrays only a negative image to its public of the asylum seeker.

ASYLUM APPLICATION:

Most of the Africans who are at the reception centre ,where they filein their asylum applications,are really handled poorly with alot ofimprofessinalism . For example in Africa it is impolite to talk to anelderly person or an authority while looking at him or her directly inthe eyes. The interviewers take all Africans to be liars , simplybecauseas a sign of respect they always talk with their eyes down duringinterviews. In this respect, a negative verdict is immidiately passedtothe application.

ACCOMODATION

After three weeks to three months in the reception centre,the asylumseeker is transfered to an asylum home.He or she has no right to decidewhere he or she will be transfered.It is to the discrition of thebranch of the federal office for the recognition of the refugees . Thisasylum homes are usually very far from the outskirts of thecity,isolated buildings in the forests,containers,former militarycamps,or in industrial zones. ( see map of asylum homes in Brandenburg; see photo example of container accomodation mostly Africans live incontainers in Neu-see land), (see photo example of accomodation in themiddle of the forest waldsieversdorf. ) Completely cut off from therestof the german population, the asylum seekers have as companion birds, animals , trees and the bush rather than the public. This is theintention of the german government towards the asylum seekers in orderto force them to go out of germany.

Most of this areas are sorrounded by land mines making it completely apotential danger to the lifes of human beings. ( See photo entrancewaldsieversdorf,the authorities know that it is dangerous but yet theforce asylum seekers to live there ) Quote of a warning notice at thisentrance:"BETRETEN VERBOTEN!LEBENSGEFAHR! A female asylum seeker inperleberg describes the home as a bomb destroyed area,full of landminds and so not at all convinient for living ,but here we are forcedto live.

LIVING SPACE

By law, the asylum seeker is entitiled to 6 square metres of space in acommunal room and not a whole room.The same law assignes 8 squaremetres to a sheperd dog.showing clearly how in the German a dog is muchmore valuable and much more important than the asylum seeker. InRathenow, Guben, Perleberg, Waßmannsdorf a room of 26 sq metresisallocated for four to ten persons.Thus the very minimal requirements ofthe law are hardly respected (See photo, a ten person room in asylumhome Kunersdorf):

There is just no space for one to entertain his or hervisitors, Conflicts always arise as one may want to sleep,but the otherwants to pülay music,or the others are discussing making itdifficult for the other to sleep.InNeu-seeland, Guben, Luckenwalde, Fürstenwalde, an asylum seekerneedsto pay 2,5 Euro per night for a visitor who wants to pass the night inthe asylum home. Most of the asylum homes donot have any common roomwhere people could meet to share, discuss or chart or entertainvisitors.In cases where they exist, the authorities always lock themfrom the asylum seekers.e.g in Fürstenwalde spree, the homeadministrator refused to epen the door for asylum seekers to have aseminar on the new provisions regulating asylum procedures,newimmigration laws draft.

A direct consequence of this law and recommendation is that an asylumseeker cannot and does not have the right to sign a contract to rent ahouse.

DAILY LIVE IN ASYLUM HOMES

The daily live in the asylum homes are quite boring than one could everimagine. People who have to live behind the fences,the lives arereducedto jungle live in the asylum homes. with cultural,moral and linguisticdiversity ,communication is very strainous.conflicts arise at alllevelswhich at times results to killing , like the case in Neu-seeland that aquarrel on the volley ball play ground resulted in the starbing of a 46year old afgan by a vietnamis.

No telephone lines exist in asylum homes because asylum seekers are notallowed to own land lines.Quite often than not the exist a singletelephone boot to meet the requirements of the hundreds of men ,womenand children in the asylum home. This is constantly jam-packed andcongestion , with conflicts between the asylum seekers as every onewants to get access to the phone boot at the moment , but cannotbecausesome one is having a long discussion with his relatives or friends.Thismakes the corridors , and the environs constantly noisy and reallyboring.

Most of the asylum homes are administered by private institutions whodonnot at all respect the already worse minimal directiives prescribedby the state. The get into the rooms without pre notice and at timesembarace the asylum seekers naked,or in bed with their partners. Theasylum seeker has no privacy.Intrusion into someones provate life is acrime in german criminal codeunder certain conditions which is punishedunder paragraphs123,201,202 and203 of the penal code (StGB)

Visiting hours are highly restricted. In Kunersdorf,it is forbidden forchildren under 18 to visit the asylum home. This means the children inthis asylum home cannot invite their friends after school.

Rathenow,Cottbus,have a part to cook in the rooms for three to fourpeople.

Crussow,Prenzlau and a host of others have a collective kitchen formore than 50 persons.

In Guben, over 60 asylum seekers use four cookers in a general kitchen.

In Kunersdorf, over 200 asylum seekers use 12 cookers in a collectivekitchen.

This is a contradiction of the minimum requirements of the asylumdirectives section 1.1(9) which stipulates three persons perhotplate.(see photo kitchen in kunersdorf).The problem with collectivekitchens is that they are always very inhygienic and so a healthhazzard.There are always conflicts in the kitchens.The traditionalfoods of one nationals is considered as having irritating ordour,and soslangs are used which transform the scenario to a battle ground.Attimes one has to cover about 150 metre to and fro from the kitchen togo and cook and to bring the cooked food to the living room.At timesone hardly gets a chance to cook as the cookers are contantly occupiedby others who are cooking.

The exist only group bath rooms which are constantly very dirty and thetaps and sinks are rusted exposing the asylum seekers to high risks ofinfections.(see photo bath room in asylum home kunersdorf).Here men andwomen use thesame bath rooms and toilets.This puts the ladies undervery unwanted situations as they cannot maitain their privacy andintimacy such as in times of menstration.The women become much morevuneral to sexual harassment.

Most of the children act as translators between the social workers andtheir parents, as they quickly learn the language in the school. Thechildren get really traumatised by the horrors of the asylum casesinvolving their parents. Words like deportation that children only getto understand it from the situation of the asylum of their parents ,hasreally a negative effect on the judgement and development of thechildren.

PREVENTION OF INTEGRATION

The government in place projects a negative image of the asylum seekerto the ignorant german public. The public knows that asylum seekersmerit to live only in the forests ,so when an asylum seeker is in thecity, it is a crime. The most suitable word for an asylum seekeraccording to the german government is "VERBOTEN"

It is forbidden to move out of your asylum district,if you do you areentitile to a fine. If you want to go out of your asylum district, youneed a permission from the allien office. The allien office will wanttoknow who you are going to visit,and for what reasons. Quite often thannot when you give the adress of the person you want to visit , theallien office calls the person and do everything to convince the personthat you are a criminal and so should not be allowed to visit. Now theyrefuse to give you the permission on the grounds that the person youwant to visit is not willing to receive you. The most cases in whichpermissions are giving is to visit a lawyer relating to your asylumcase, and is usually only one day. Out of this hardly do you get onesayfor political reasons ,or sight seeing."see photo erlaubnis"

Freedom of movement is a fundamental human right according to thegeneva convention for which germany is a signatory. It should be clearthat we are free men in a free world and should move freely to where wewant and when we want,within germany. The direct consequence of thislawis that the police officers contol every person who is foreignlooking. E.g two asylum seekers were handcurb in frankfurt andmains. Some of the german people arround were making comments thatsurely they must have committed crimes and on their escape have beencaptured. Some said ,yes they always see africans with the police, theyare drug dealers.usually the police will not want to create publicawareness to such acts as the only discretely ask for the identity ofthe asylum seekers. Thomas an ex-asylum seekers watching thescene,movedto the police officers changing to an american accent, asked theofficers what the two africans have done, was shocked to hear thatthey are not supposed to be in Frank furt. He asked the police officersif how would they themselves feel when they go to africa or Asia andare chained in this way in public. Does that exist in the german law.Inguilt the officers unchained the guys and warm them to always havepermission before leaving their asylum districts.

This law is racist in all respect. The government says it is necessaryin order to always lay hands on the asylum seeker when necessary. Inthecase where people live under such conditions for up 15 years or therest of their lifes, this argument does not hold. African people andallothers from the third world countries are the tadget group . Thesocietyand the police manifest these in the asylum seekers. If you look like aperson from the third world contry, in Germany,then you are"AUSLÄNDER", and would always be a tadget for frequent policecontrols. But if you are swedish, American etc, you are also aforeigner, but you are called swedish or american and not"AUSLÄNDER": You see how the government is the sole pepetrator ofracist,discriminative and exclusionist sentiments , which is the primegoal of the fortress Europe.

The shopping system is another area in which the asylum seeker findshimself really segregated. People who have to live only with purchasingvouchers. With these they are only aloud to buy certain food items andnot others. STUFF LIKE CIGARRETTES ;ALCOHOL IS OUT OF QUESTION: T hevouchers can be used only in particular shops. The choice to buy fromwhere you want is not allowed. In the shops where vouchers areallowed, the asylum seekers have a seperate counter from the rest ofthegerman people. Conflicts always arise between the asylum seekers andtheshop dealers,as they bully on the asylum seekers with slangslike:  youhave no right to collect this item or that, take it back to thecounter. This exposes the asylum seeker to be negatively seen by thepublic. After the shoping they have to go on foot a substential part ofthe journey to their forests as urban transportations hardly cover mostof the asylum homes.

Asylum seekers are not allowed to study. They are not allowed towork. The law says after one year an asylum seeker can apply for a workpermit. First the asylum seeker should get a work contract from anemployer, then uses this to go to the labour office to get a workpermit. Even with this work contract, hardly do you get a workpermit. This is my personal situation since June this year with a workcontract, I applied for a work permit, which I have never had anyanswertill date. It is stipulated also that the only situation for an asylumseeker to get a job is when the is no german , no EU candidate, noimmigrant with legal papers befor an asylum seeker may have a chance.

Despite all this, asylum seekers are used in the asylum homes to doforce labour, and earn only one Euro, where as for thesame job a germanearns 15 Euro.

Asylum seekers do not have right to medical health if it is not asituation of acute pain . This is stipulated in the article 4 of thelawproviding services to asylum seekers which states: the right to medicaltreatment can be attained in cases of acute illnesses linked withchronic pains.

TRAUMATIC EFFECTS

The very strong minded asylum seekers are some how confused, theaverageminded are mad and the weak minded commit suicide.

For asylum seekers and refugees, traumatic event is usually not aspecific event in the sense of an isolated incident or a set of events,or a set of events which have left painful scars. More often, it is anenduring, cumulative process that continues during exile because ofdistinct new events, both in the native country and in the country ofexile. It is a chain of traumatic and stressful experiences thatconfront the refugee with complete helplessness and interfere with hisor her personal development over an extended period of time.

Xenion, a special institute to treat traumatised and depressed peoplebased in Berlin, one of the workers, Doro, a social pedagogue says,someasylum seekers are traumatised because they are made inactive, passive,continous dependency and in fact the general nature of the asylumsystem of control.

RESOLUTIONS

Each asylum seeker from Africa has a case to make, that should not bedisputed. The so called democratic nations in Africa, according toyou, are teleguided dictators. We Africans say they are not democrates.

It is an imparative that all Asylum seekers from Africa in Germany andEurope in general be legalised, giving the right to live ,study andwork.

The system of camps should stop in Germany and should not be taken backto Africa. The"RESIDENZFLICHT "law should be abolished. Freedom ofmovement is a human right and not a previllege."



Helmut Dietrich, Forschungsgemeinschaft Flucht und Migration (FFM)über die geplanten Lager in Nordafrika (stichwortartigeMitschrift):

"Wie können sie die Konzentrationslager vergessen?" schrieb einlibyscher Intellektueller an einen libyschen Diplomaten, seit die EUdie libyschen Lager benutzt. "Wie stehen wir da vor unserenBrüdern und Schwestern aus dem gesamten Kontinent? Was füreine Schande."

Seit drei oder vier Jahern gibt es neue Internierungslager in Libyen.Viele Tausend Menschen sind wegen der Pogrome nach Südengeflüchtet und dort in den Lagern steckengeblieben. Diese Lagersollen nun, nach dem Willen von Schily, für aus der EUabgeschobenen Flüchtlinge benutzt werden.  Libyen ist daserste Land, das seine Lager der EU zur Verfügung stellt. Seitdiesem Jahr gibt es eine Luftbrücke der Abschiebungen, die es sovorher nicht gegeben hat.

Warum ist es jetzt möglich, dass Schily und die anderenEU-Innenminister das jetzt durchsetzen können?

1. Die EU-Aussengrenze möchten die Schengengremien alseinheitliche Außengrenze durchsetzen. Sie wollen die nationalenvereinheitlichen, um eine bessere Kontrolle der Grenzen zu erreichen.Dieses Projekt ist durch die EU-Erweiterung ins Stocken geraten. StaatOsteuropa ist es nun die Südgrenze, auf die sich dieSchengengremien konzentrieren. dazu beigetragen haben die sog.antiterroristischen Feldzüge, die Abschottung gegenüber dennordafrikanischen muslimischen Bevölkerungen, und dazu beigetragenhat der alte Kolonialismus Europas gegenüber Afrika.

Südspanien, Süditalien und Ostgriechenland sind jetzt dabei,neue Techniken aus den Kriegen gegen die Bootsflüchtlingeeinzusetzen. Das betrifft vor allem den Einsatz von Überwachungaus der Luft, aus Überwachungstürmen und von Drohnen.

2. Der zweite Grund ist der Zugriff der EU auf die Öl- undGasreserven in Afrika. Zum selbern Zeitpunkt, an dem dieLuftbrücke begonnen hat und weiter Flüchtlinge nach Italienkommen, Oktiber diesen Jahres, wurde eine Erdgaspipeline von Italiennach Sizilien eingeweiht. Libyen ist ein großer Ölmarktfür Europe, und Lybyen hat eine neoliberale Politik derProivatisierung eingeleitet. Dies ist auch der Grund der Besuche vonBlair, Berlusconi und Schröder bei Gaddhafi.

3. Die Abschottung in Verbindung mit dem sog. Antiterrorismus, in dernicht nur polizeiliche sondern aus militärische Mittel eingesetztwerden. Bei der nächsten Sicherheitskonferenz in Münchenveranstaltet die deutshc Wirtschaft parallel ein großes Forum zuihren Investitionen in Afrika. Sie melden großes Interesse an,dass ihre Investitionen in Afrika militärisch gesichert werdensollen. Zum selben Zeitpunkt also, an dem das Öl aus Afikafließen soll wird das Mittelmeer besser überwacht, und auchNordafrika. An der 4000 km langen Küste von Libyen soll einweiterer Abwehrzaun aufgebaut werden. Es sterben weiterhin Menschen inder Sahara - die Menschen, die nicht über soviel Geldverfügen, dass sie mit dem Flugzeug kommen können - es sinddie mittellosen, die es trotzdem wagen und in die Holzboote steigen,und vor denen, das ist wahrscheinlich koloniales Erbe, hat Europa ammeisten Angst.

Es ist unsere Aufgabe, den antikolonialen Widerstand nicht nur in derFerne zu unterstützen, sondern der Rassismus dort wo wir lebentäglich unterbrechen können. Wir können die Medienunterlaufen durch den alltäglichen Kontakt und das Leben unsererVorstellungen.

Schliesslich gab es noch eine kurze Diskussion:

Frage: was passiert den mit den Flüchtlingen in Libyen?

Antwort: es ist versucht worden, dies zu recherchieren. Leute ausItalien sind hingefahren, aber es ist sehr schwierig. Informationen ausMali, Niger und Nigeria berichten von einigen HUndert Menschen, diezurpckgekehrt sind, teilweise mit dem Flugzeug abgeschoben wurden, dieauf den Wüstenpisten ausgesetzt wurden. Einige sind dort in derWüste umgekommen. Über die Abschiebungen in der Sudan wissenwir noch weniger.
Eriträische Kriegsdienstverweigerer wurden verhaftet, etwas 80wurden per Flugzeug abgeschoben, haben das Flugzeug in ihre Gewaltgebracht, Khartum angesteuert, sind dort gelandet und haben Asyl imSudan bekommen. Auch der UNHCR, der sich erst zurückhielt, sagtmittlerweile, dass Abschiebungen nach Eritrea unter allenUmständen verhindert werden müssen.

Hinweise: Am 20.11. findet in Schwerin eine Demo zur Unterstützungvon Akubuo statt.

Frage: Kannst du genauer sagen, wo Deiner Meinung nach die Parallelenzu den faschistischen italienischen Lagern bestehen?
Antwort: Das war ein Zitat von einem Libyer, der sich an die Geschichteseiner Familie, deren Mitglieder in der Lagern umgekommen sind,erinnert fühlt.
Vor einigen Jahren hat der BGS ein paar hundert Leute mit Handzettelnzur illegalen Arbeitsaufnahme nach Frankfurt/Oder gelockt. Die wurdendann für einen Tag in eine Halle gesperrt und bekamen Nummern aufdie Arme geschrieben. Die Reaktion in Polen könnt ihr euchvorstellen - die Bundesregierung mußte Entschädigung zahlen,und in Polen wurde gesagt 'Mit Franzosen hättet ihr das nichtgemacht'.

Bemerkung: es ist sicher richtig, die kolonialen Kontinuitäten zubetrachten, aber genauso wichtig ist es, die Rolle derArbeitsmärkte und damti der Arbeitsmigration zuberücksichtigen. Es geht nicht nur um Abschottung, sondern auch umFilter und selektive Abschiebung im Migrationseregime.

Helmut: z.Z. läuft die größte Legalisierung vonSans-Papiers überhaupt, aus Osteuropa.  Es ist natülichwichtig, das zu thematisieren. Aber: nach dem Ende des Kolonialismushat die Gastarbeiteranwerbung angefangen. Da haben viele afrikansicheRegierungen Bedarf angemeldet, Arbeitskräfte nach Europa zuschicken. Es gab 2 Ausnahmen - Marokko und Tunesien. Es gab einunausgesprochenes Nein gegenüber Afrika. Die selektive Offenheitder Wirtschaft richtet sich derzeit nach Osteuropa - die Abschottunggegenüber Afrika wird eher stärker.

Weitere Anmerkung: die Saisonarbeiter etwa in Südspanien sindauch einer Auswahl ausgesetzt - für EU-Bürger gibt es mehrGeld, was der Grund dafür ist, warum weniger Menschen ausSubsahara-Afrika zur Saisonarbeit kommen.