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20.Oct.04 - A number of so-called EU-collective-deportations have been carried out in the past months. The funds at disposal of the EU for such mass deportations amount to approx. 30 millions Euro for the years 2005 and 2006. Along with the discussion and practical preparation around refugee camps outside the EU, e.g. in North Africa or in the former Soviet republic these European mass deportations are to be deemed as the prelude for a an Europe free of refugees and asylum-seekers. The city of Hamburg plays an important role in organising and implementing this inhuman practice. We, various groups of anti-racist and human rights activists in Hamburg, are directly confronted with this development and are looking for worldwide alliances enabling us to strike back against the inhumane treatment (violation of fundamental and human rights) of refugees and immigrants. In May 2004 the "Ausländerbehörde" Hamburg organized for Germany the mass deportations of so-called exile-oppositions, which have been coordinated from the airport Schiphol/Amsterdam (Netherlands) to the despotically governed Togo and Cameroon.
Ignoring the ban on night time flying, 15 People were deported by force and secretly from Hamburg's airport Fuhlsbüttel to Amsterdam. Simultaneously and accompanied by massive police forces refugees from Togo, Cameroon, Belgium, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands were assembled and deported from there to West Africa in a collective transport. Later on deported refugees reported about police brutality, arrests and interrogations at the place of destination.
Statement from 13.09.2004
Mass deportation from Hamburg airport took place on monday 9 a.m.
accompanied by massive police forces. Activists protested in the airport
hall.
The "Ausländerbehörde Hamburg" and the ministry for interior (Hamburg) organized for this morning (13.09.2004) a charter deportation to Africa. A part of the public place of the airport was closed and controlled by police. 30 activists protested meanwhile inside the airport. With speaches, slogans, banners and theater they informed the passengers about the hidden criminal act beside the main hall.
Refugees from various african countries, hands tied on their back and heads pressed in helmets brutally treated and forced to enter the deportation plane was the hidden scene. Sharp at nine o clock the plane enterd the field and started 10 minutes later. The airline was the german AERO FLIGHT. The other plane which brought reugees under deportation from switzerland to hamburg was from the swiss air line LIONS AIR.
The days before the hamburg authorities gave no concrete information concerning date, countries etc they only launched to the press that 40 - 50 persons should be deported in September to Africa. Minutes after the take off the ministry of interior (Hamburg) pushed a press release proudly boasting a sucess of "international and germanwide cooperation against criminality and illegal immigration". According to the press release 17 persons were deported to Togo, Burkina Faso and Benin. 5 federal states of Germany (11 refugees) and also Belgium and Switzerland (6 refugees) were involved. The senator for interior Nagel stated that this international mass deportations was an excellent example for the future. Nobody knows who was deported and with which background. But it is kwon that the German authorities are deporting people with faked and false papers, that they are connected with corrupted immigration officers (for example in Burkina Faso) and that the refuse asylum for people who are in danger of life because of their oppositional engagement. Concerning to Togo the exile opposition as well as human rights organisations are demanding a general deportation stop. The brutality and arbitrariness of the Eyadema regime is well known. But on the basis of false country reports written by the German foreign office and the foreign minister Fischer the courts are rejecting political refugees in masses.
To counter the increasing Europe-wide mass deportation, the hiding of information, the total rightnessless of the victims and the massive human right violations plus the police brutality is a serious challenge for all refugees and their organisation, all human right defenders, democrats, antiracists and left and progressive forces on the international level. To protest against role of the Hamburg authorities you can call: Behörde für Inneres, Rainer Fallak: 0049 (0)40-428 39 22 66 Ausländerbehörde, Norbert Smekal: 0049 (0)40-428 39 27 97
Call for an alliance agianst deportations
Regarding this topic we need an international alliance in respect of the
strengthened coordination of the European deportation politics, the more and
more faster procedure, the secrecy and the deceiving of the public by the
authorities and politicians. First contacts could be established during the
above- mentioned mass deportations. We need a permanent exchange of
information concerning the EU-collective deportation enabling us to react
quickly on one hand and on the other hand to plan strategically. For
instance, in Germany information about planned deportations are only
obtainable from refugees or their lawyers. However, information are often
withheld from the lawyers, the arrested refugees can't afford a lawyer and
in addition to these the authorities have announced not to inform nobody
more, not even the people concerned, about planned deportations. We hereby
ask all groups and organizations, which are active in fighting against state
racism and active in defending the right of asylum, to forward this appeal
to other groups and circles. Anyone, who would like to participate in this
exchange of information, is kindly asked to submit a short self-portrayal
and contact address under following addresses:
Karawanegruppe Hamburg or Flüchtlingsrat Hamburg
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