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Mitilini, June 2010

+++ Frontex expands border patrol +++ Pagani still works as closed detention centre +++ Frontex-interviewers replaces Medicines Sans Frontiers +++ marks of Noborder are still to be found everywhere +++

When you walk along the port of Mitilini, the capital of Lesvos island, you can hardly oversee that you are moving in a militarized zone of migrant-hunters. The greek coast-guard and the European border agency Frontex are even more obviously present than last year. The ship of the Rumanian coast guard (a lot of people might know it from last years Noborder-activities) looks small and almost friendly besides the more than double-sized grey vessel, named “Arago” from France. The “Arago” participated already in September 2008 in the Frontex-Mission Nautilus between Lampedusa and Malta. Even too big to be placed in the closed part of the port, it has to be parked in front of the Blue Sea Hotel. Sometimes it is also “hiding” near Petra on Lesvos’ north coast, the main arrival coast of the last years. In the main port in Mitilini the coast-guard is again present and the small hunting-speed-boats that had shown their manoeuvring in the harbours action last August as well.

Continue reading ‘Mitilini, June 2010’

Demonstration in solidarity with the hunger strikers in samos detention center

more infomation:

Hunger strike in Samos detention centre

On April 12, 2010, 126 migrants detained in the samos detention camp started a collective hunger strike. Their demands are

  • Freedom, immediate release with the “white paper” (allowing them to travel within Greece for thirty days)
  • An end to the transfers to detention centres close to the greek-turkish land border in the north, where numerous illegal deportation to Turkey are taking place. Such transfers happen between two and three times a month in Samos, the last one happened on April 9, when 40 migrants were taken.
  • Transparency about the work of so-called translators in the camp. As it turns out, these often are officiers employed by Frontex, who offer their translation services, but abuse the trust of the refugees and use the access to the refugees to determine their identity and prepare their deportation. There is a particular problem with the Frontex officers who in the process of identification often change the country of origin of the migrants on paper.

In the last days, as many as 14 Frontex officers were in the detention centre. There is also talk about migrants being beaten up, some cell phones were taken, while the phones in the camp also don’t work, making it hard to communicate with the hunger strikers. No laywers seem to be present at the time.

Out of the frying pan into the fire

News from the “Open Centre” in Pagani:

Today 60 people were n Pagani, all together in one cell. The cells are still open but the atmosphere does not seem very open. The people were transported today at 6:00 pm to the detention centre in Xios, of course accompanied by the police. The refugees have now arrived in Xios. Obviously the end of pagani is only the begnnng. As it seems now the plans are pointing in the direction of a new detention centre will be opening n Lesvos in the one or two years. Until then, Pagani will be used as a open transit centre.

There is only one thing left to say:

  • No Detention Centre! Not n Pagani, not in Xios and nowhere!!!

steigen auf lissos 07
mitilini harbours flags are no more greek

… into a new odyssey

From behind the bars into the ship. The stories of a family, a young girl and a baby.

Family infront of Pagani

A family on their way to Europe

baby behind bars

Is it allowed to put a three-year-old in prison???

young girl behind bars

This young girl from afghanistan is 12 years old. She spent 20 days in the detention centre of Pagani and is now on her way into a unknown future.

42 new people in pagani

A building collective memory can not be erased through cleaning or repairing the building.

Pagani has been “closed” few days ago. All refugees that where part of the revolts have been free and could leave Mytilini. Probably that was one of the reasons to close Pagani , the hope that all the knowledge about the revolt would disappear together with the refugees. But also buildings have a collective memory.and no repair or cleaning can take away from the walls of Pagani the history of the revolts. the walls will all the time talk to the newcomers and tell them the stories they heard, and they will all remember! 42 neue

Open day in Pagani

bed

Tuesday morning: The local newspapers reported that Pagani would be reopened after a period of two or three months as a open centre with no police guards. This is at least what local politicians and police authoities stated officially. The damages have been estimated, it is being cleaned thesedays and if or when the reparation is funded by the ministry works will go on.

living in the dark

Tuesday noon: Pagani has open doors.inside cleaning staff is trying to fullfill wonders for the prefecture. Empty rooms full of clothes, dirt, abandoned beds covered with black plastic bags some days ago the only method for some “privacy”, a cat playing freely inside the former prison. Former? The last cell is already clean. Matrasses a prepared. It looks as if Pagani was expecting “guests” again.

wc

Outside three FRONTEX employees inspect carefully the closed???? prison.

cell "cleaned up" for the newcomers of today

Tuesday afternoon: The weather forecast foresees rain and wind. The sky is grey. Pagani has turned on some lights in one of the cells. A police car is controlling the outer area. Clothes hanging on the fence. Tomorrow there should be a ship leaving to Chios in the morning. Tuesday end of the day: Is Pagani now closed or isn`t it?! We will read it in the newspapers of tomorrow.

Continue reading ‘Open day in Pagani’

Final party in Pagani

It was the last night of Pagani when a group of imprisoned refugees started singing again.

The conditions inside had changed within the last days. Police had slowly given up to control the situation, they just locked the people inside and stayed outside. Since the doors were broken the refugees could move inside the yard and to all the cells. Some of the cells were burned, each revolt inside had left it’s signs on the building. It looked as if the building was breathing its final breath. Burned mattress were just thrown in front of the door. The yard was used to play football in these last days. And there was the singing in the night.
freedom for all! empty pagani!
The final night in Pagani on Friday turned into a real party-night. It began with question that would not sound crazy in any other place: “Do you need anything? I will just go, shopping.” Although he
didn’t belief it, our friend who was narrating about the party gave five Euro (“because it sounded crazy enough for me”). The guy jumped over the fence and came back with cigarettes, whiskey and beer.
in and out They started drinking and telling each other their stories of migration and what they are missing and about their life. “When I told my story it was so and I started crying myself about it.” When the beer was finished they wanted some more and so the guy jumped again. The police came to him and said he can not leave. “But I have to go shopping!” he said to them. “If you don’t want me to go I can make a list with our needs and you go get it for us.” Obviously the policemen didn’t want to go and said to him: “Okay go, but you have to return, you know!” He went himself and returned again with more beers. A real party started with a lot of songs in various languages. A lot of sad songs about the things people left behind – but also dancing and the hope to go further.
In the next morning there the first deportation from newcomers to Xios took place. It happened silent. They brought one bus with families a second one with men and boys and in the last minute a smaller one to the harbour of Mytilini. All in all about 50 people were brought to the detention camp in Xios.
A lot of things to be done to stop these deportations to another prison, to prevent the old Pagani-building to be renewed and reopened — and to fight for open centres and of course papers for everyone!!!.
Maybe, Pagani could be used as a memorial place.
bad weather
The ferry that was supposed to leave Mytilini on Sunday at 6:00 pm could not go because of the weather. Today, three days and two nights later, the ship with the released people has left the harbour of Mytilini.
Pagani is abandoned – looking ancient already.

The End!? Pagani exept four people!

As it was to suspect yesterday, the detention centre of Pagani became the ghost town of today. Pagani is know empty, except of four refugees. It is not clear jet what will happen with them.

Today they released five buses from pagani. When the buses left eight people remained in Pagani, a family with four members was released short after the others. Now, there are still four single men inside. One of them a unaccompanied minor, the other on is Abdul Hadi Otman Zahi. He has a red card and lives in Mytilini. A few days ago he was controlled by the Police who take his red card away and brought him to Pagani.

The released refugees are in the harbor of Mytilini right now. The ferry to Athens was supposed to leave at six o’clock to day. Because of the stormy weather it will not leave before midnight. Anyway, the atmosphere in the harbor is cheerful. Every one got a ticket and there is enough food for all.

Faces and Fates Part II

musa mohamad 16-sorry instead of love we give you trouble

I am so sorry, instead of love we give you trouble

Musa Mohamad, 16 years.

palästinian family with UN refugee status spend the night outside
This family from Palestine was released from Pagani yesterday. Because they were released to late they missed the ferry and spent the night outside.
They got refuge papers from the UNHCR, but they are not accepted in Greece.

About w2eu

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The name Welcome to Europe expresses the discontent and anger we feel when looking at the fatal realities of the European external border: the long documented deaths and suffering have continued for years, and no end is in sight. We stand for a grassroots movement that embraces migration and wants to create a Europe of hospitality.

 

We maintain our focus on the European external border in Greece, but will not limit ourselves to that geographical area. The right of freely roaming the globe has to be fought for everywhere. Join us!

 

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Voices from the Inside of Pagani (2009)

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