Month: October 2020

We have a conference about refugees mainly from Schaumberg / Niedersachsen to discuss the refugees’ situation: what is the refugees’ situation in the camps right now considering coronavirus and how should the activists and others support? If there is any new development on refugee issues?

As we know, the systematic isolation of refugees, deportations and rejected applications put refugees under constant stress. They reinforce isolation from the EU by combining all functions of immigration and refugees’ control such as the Dublin III regulation. Refugees are permanently exposed to external and internal controls, authorities; institutions have constant access to their private life. This creates frustration and aggression for refugees, and even conflicts between refugees to fight each other as the order of the day. Refugees are presented to the population as a danger, as illegitimate supplicants – but asylum is a human right!

People who support refugees are criminalized. Refugees and activists are often played off against each other. But there is resistance. Not only in Berlin, but everywhere where they are exposed to repression and discrimination, refugees come together and fight for their rights. Together with local initiatives, they break the isolation and form networks of solidarity. This creates access to legal support. that many people in the asylum and residence are otherwise denied.

Above all, however, these activist networks stand for a very concrete political vision of living together in solidarity, which represents an alternative to the anti-migrant, nationalist, racist and patriarchal patterns of thought and action of right-wing movements and parties.

Unfortunately, many of these solidarity initiatives and self-organized movements are often poorly networked and have few resources. There is also a lack of concrete strategies and methods, both regarding the internal conflict dynamics in heterogeneous groups and regarding dealing with state repression, police violence, right-wing agitation, and deportations. Better networking, the exchange of experience and awareness are required here. This is important now. Therefore, coming together to discuss and share the experience is our strength.

The event will take place on 24 and 25/10/2020 from 12 AM to 3:PM in New Yorck / Bethanien (Mariannenplatz 2a, Berlin-Kreuzberg). Due to coronavirus we can have only have 10 people on board Others will participate online, using skype etc.

Please contact us through bw.humanrights@yahoo.com, if you want to participate.