No to deportations!
No to the concentration camps where the refugees are in prison! They must walk free and be provided of a decent housing!
¡Ellos deben estar libres y tener vivienda digna!
Open the borders! Legal papers and full citizenship,
labor and union rights for all!
In Middle East, Maghreb and Europe: a same class, the same struggle, the same foe
Escaping from a brutal counterrevolutionary war in Syria that left destroyed cities and more than half a million dead, refugees crossed into Turkey and from there went by sea to Europe. They arrived in small boats, so overloaded that there was no place to sit. But even knowing the dangers of drowning they confronted on that trip, they and their family embarked on this journey to reach Europe with the dream of getting a job there to rebuild their lives. But at Greece - first stop after Turkey- they found that the borders to cross to the next country on their way to Germany or any country in northern Europe have been closed. This means that not only the imperialist powers and their lackeys have destroyed their lives in their countries and plundered their wealth; they also prevent them from reaching European soil and get a job there to support their family.
But not only the borders are closed: deportations have also begun. The reason is EU has outlined a plan together with Turkey to return to the latter anyone refugee who reached Greek islands after March 20, when they formally signed the pact.
Refugees who arrived in Europe subsequent to that date are mostly Syrians, but there are also Pakistanis, Iraqis and Afghans. To them, the government of Syriza, the "left" of the Troika, keeps prisoners in concentration camps -which are reminiscent of those of the Nazis- in the Greek islands, called "hot spots" (hot spots), such as for example in Lesvos, Chios and Samos. These "hot spots" are true prisons where 4,000 refugees are in prison, while the government prepares their deportation. There are as in Auschwitz, behind barbed wire, marked with numbers on their wrists, their exit forbidden, while the entry of doctors, caring people and journalists is not allowed, nobody can enter the camp other than the Greek police or army.
Refugees who approach the fence of the concentration camp of Moria (on the island of Lesvos) send cries of complaint to the outside, asking for support: "Food is little and inedible". "Where are those human rights EU claims to respect?" "We escaped from a country at war, we just want to go to work, why not open your borders for us?" "It seems that we got out of hell to get to another hell" "If we are forced to return to Turkey, I'll throw myself into the sea with my family! “
This morning, a boat heavily guarded by Frontex (EU border police), has come from the Greek island of Lesvos sending 131 refugees to Turkey. Syriza has announced that in the next 3 days it will send 750 in total.
In Turkey, another concentration camp recently built waits. From there, the Turkish government Erdogan will directly deport refugees to their countries, including Syria, where the masses are still massacred. The Turkish government has long been making these deportations to Syrian soil. They were so many that have already been made known worldwide.
On the Greek island of Chios, last Friday, the news of the imminent deportation was also learned. There the refugees were able to force the fence and escaped from the concentration camps. 800 of them managed to reach the port of the island shouting "We want freedom, not to go to Turkey!” Since the refugees took that port over, no ferry has docked on the island.
Last night there was a march of solidarity of the Greek people in Chios, which ended in clashes with police when the latter was trying to open their way to apprehend runaway refugees again. And as they continue to advance preparations for deportation, police are still trying to get to bring the refugees back to the camp in Chios.
Moreover, thousands of refugees in the Greek north, in the area next to the border with Macedonia continue their fight plan for the opening of borders. They continue to cut the railroad tracks linking Greece with Europe and again block the Greece-Macedonia route, preventing the movement of trucks and trade with the Balkan countries.
In that border area in Idomeini where 14,000 refugees are today, the government is also carrying out an evacuation plan. The same is done in the port of Piraeus in Athens, where 5,000 refugees are occupying several abandoned terminals and mounted tents in the port premises. Syriza intends to carry those who are there to different "refugee camps" in military custody, where they will be in the same conditions as the concentration camps of the Greek islands. For now, the police and the government say that the doors of these fields are open for refugees to get in and out during the day. But this way also operated refugee camps on the islands until two weeks ago. So we know that it will not be long before the government decides to close the door completely and start deportations also from Greek mainland.
Syriza government says all refugees not seeking asylum will be deported. But even when you have done this application, this can be rejected without any explanation or reason, resulting in deportation. Greek Immigration Minister stated that only the asylum claims of refugees who are within these "official state refugee camps", ie the concentration camps will be taken into account. It is blackmail: they tell them either we deport you or put you in concentration camps where you will be available to be deported as soon as the government rejects your asylum claims.
The refugees refuse to go to these camps. Of the 20 buses that come to Idomeini every day since last weekend to bring the refugees to these true prisons only 5 were filled. Yesterday came 3 buses to the Athenian port of Piraeus and not a single seat was occupied. The fact is refugees know that if they go, they would be trapped. They know the conditions that await them in these camps, and that going there would be putting themselves in the mouth of the wolf, because from there the state has all the resources and facilities to deport them at any time it sees. And no doubt the Syriza government police will do the forcible eviction of these places occupied by refugees if it becomes necessary, as it already threatens to do so through immigration minister's statements.
For the EU it is clear: refugees must be in concentration camps, behind closed doors, in military custody for deportation. And this is only part of the attack on the European working class, of which refugees are a part . Adjustment and austerity plans, the fourth memorandum in Greece, increased working hours in France, persecution in Belgium after the attacks last week repeating the experience of France, are part of it. The counterrevolution advances in the Middle East and the EU goes on the offensive in Europe.
No to deportations!
No to the concentration camps where the refugees are in prison! They must walk free and be provided of a decent housing!
Open the borders! Legal papers and full citizenship, labor and union rights for all the refugees! They must have a decent job with a wage equal to the family basket, and also the European workers must have it!
If the Europe of Maastricht defeats the refugees, deporting and sending them to real concentration camps, the working class of Europe will be treated the same or worse. The attack on the 35hs a week of the French working class is only one example. Not to mention the Greek workers who lost all their conquests, even the right to work and are seeking a shelter to sleep as Syrian refugees. The workers of Eastern Europe, from Ukraine to Germany, are paperless doing slave labor in the Europe of Maastricht. Sellout union leaderships and social-imperialist parties lackeys of Maastricht are which divide the European working class.
a same class, the same struggle, the same foe!
Correspondant |
Concentration Camp of Moria in Lesvos
Refugee protesting in Macedonia
Repression in Chios to demonstrators supporting refugees
Protest in Idomeni
Protest of refugee in Chios
Refugees deported arriving in Turkey
Refugees in the fences of Moria
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