Archive for the 'Lesvos' Category

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NoBorder Camp in Action now

Published on August 23, 2009 in Detention and Lesvos. Closed Tags: , , .

In this very moment, activists from the noborder camp gather in Mytiline to protest against the treatment of refugees in Lesvos. A particular concern is the situation of the refugees released from Pagani two days ago, who cannot leave the island but also don’t have any accomodation or other means zo sustain themselves.

We demand the immediate closure of Pagani and that the responsible authorities provide shelter and food to the refugees they threw into the streets.

Follow this action at our twitter-feed at twitter.com/noborderlesvos.

Refugees released from Pagani yesterday night

Published on August 21, 2009 in Detention and Lesvos. Closed Tags: .

We already posted that information once, but now we know more and want to publish a follow-up report.

Yesterday, at least 38 refugees were released from Pagani at night. They obtained the “white paper” but didn’t get a ticket for a ferry to the mainland. Nor did they receive any other means of supporting themselves. Consequence is that they are now stuck in Lesvos, they spent their night at the port.

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Hunger Strike at Pagani Detention Centre

Published on August 20, 2009 in Detention, Featured, Lesvos, Photos and Revolt. Closed Tags: , .

Unaccompanied Minors in the detention centre Pagani, august 20, 2009 On 18th of August 2009, 160 unaccompanied minors detained in Pagani detention centre went on hunger strike to demand their immediate freedom. All of them are detained in just one room, where they share one toilet, many need to sleep on the floor due to lack of beds. Some of the minors are only eight or nine years old. 50 of them have been detained for over 2 months, the others have been in Pagani for several weeks already. The detention of minors is illegal under greek law.

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Brief report from the field: Pagani emergency

Published on August 17, 2009 in Detention, Featured, Insight and Lesvos. Closed Tags: , .

The European elections, that took place during June 2009, brought the ultra right wing party “LAOS” to the fourth place for the first time in the recent Greek history. “LAOS” made a very open anti-migrant campaign based on the national security and immigration control. The support of this movement by the Greek media was and still is very obvious and, consequently, after the elections, the agenda that “LAOS” has set, has been adopted by several institutions and politicians across the political spectrum and mostly from the governmental parties, called “New Democracy” and “PASOK” (Greek Socialist Party).

One of the outcomes of the above mentioned conservative and xenophobic campaign was the very recent presidential decree 81/09, which assigns the examination of asylum claims exclusively to police directors. It further deprives asylum seekers of the right to have their asylum claim examined at second instance, in violation of European standards.

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Demonstration 13.08. Mytilini

Published on August 14, 2009 in Featured, Frontex, Lesvos, Photos and Run Up. Closed Tags: , , .

The demonstration took place in the late afternoon. The route was from the center to the harbor, where the demonstration stopped to express loud and clear, and also written the disagreement with Frontex and the greek coast guard.

Normally Frontex and the greek coast guard have their landing here:

"Welcome Centre"

Published on August 14, 2009 in Detention, Lesvos and noborder lesvos '09. Closed Tags: , , , .

This was found in a newspaper from Lesvos called “EMPROS”. It shows a situation in the, so called “Welcome Centre”, the detention centre in Pagani.

Welcome Centre: Have you booked? I`m sorry we are full.

Request for freedom!!

Published on August 14, 2009 in Detention and Lesvos. Closed Tags: , .


Request for freedom from minor refugees after a hunger strike in Pagani prison, Lesvos. The Request is directed to the Authorities and to the European Union.

Last sunday in the harbour

Published on August 12, 2009 in Deportation, Lesvos and Run Up. Closed Tags: .

A lot of police and military, was all around the harbour. In the closed part of the harbour a normal ferry had been landed.  Then the travellers were let into the ship after getting controlled very well.

Suddenly the police seemed to be nervous.  Then a public bus came around the corner. It was obviously that they were transporting refugees. The refugees were screaming “FREEDOM” out loud and waved to the people making the peace sign. The fence was opened and the bus drove throw,they parked him in front of the belly and putted their medical masks and gloves on. They brought the refugees into the belly, which is actually the parking area.

Klephtes! Thieves!

Published on August 11, 2009 in Lesvos and Run Up. Closed Tags: , , .

On Friday 17/07 8 packages with printed material for the no border camp were sent with a ship to Mytilene. The packages had specific recipient, the name and telephone number of whom appeared in the packages, and for transporting them was cut bill. When Saturday 18/07 we went to receive the packages the staff of the ship told us that the stores were closed and the receipt should be made on Sunday. Finally we went to collect the packages on Tuesday when officials of the ship told us that they considered the material as humanitarian assistance and called the coast police to receive them. The coast police admit that they took the material from the boat but no one knew about the fate of the material. The harbor master was seemed to ignore the issue completely. Two days later part of the material found in a store room of the coast police in the port.Of the 8 packages, 3 were missing, all packages were opened and some of the material found in a nearby trash bin. To the questions why the material received by coast police as there was specipic receiver and why they didn’t inform the receiver, no one was available to respond. In a publication in a local newspaper reported the following:

According to secure information, law enforcement authorities have identified and blocked quantity of printed material of anarchists for the event no border camp, which arrived by ship in the harbor. Impression is caused by the fact that the material, which identified by the authorities, was hidden in packages that were sent from Athens (by people who work until recently as a body of government on refugees) and intended as a “humanitarian assistance for refugees”! The material unloaded from the ship with the assistance of Coast Guard men, but upon unloading one package was opened, so to determine its content.

It is obvious that there is a trial to create atmosphere against the no border camp and the authorities are ready to use all methods. The fact that newspapers like “empros” are carrying false reports disseminated on porpose by the authorities,is expected. The material for the no border camp that will take place from 25 to 31 August in Mitilini was sharing already in various towns and villages of the island. No one is illegal. Come to discuss in the squares of the island.

900 people detained in Pagani

Published on August 9, 2009 in Detention, Featured and Lesvos. Closed Tags: , , , .

On the ship, you are traveling, refugees are beeing doported against their free will. Refugees what are one the way to be deported, are held in handcuffs. Beeing deported bevor having the chance to express their wish for asylum. You can do something against it. Talk with the captain, talk to the company. Show loud and clear that you disagree. Smash Borders, now!New refugees are arriving in Mytilini every day. Currently 900 people are inside the “welcome center” (= detention centre) Pagani. The intended capacity of the prison is 250 people. Since the new act from June 2009, the refugees are held inside Pagani for at least 6 month. The only “way” to get out of the prison is to be deported. Because the prison is that crowded, a deportation is expected this weekend.

About w2eu

This is the blog of the antiracist network Welcome to Europe. It was formerly known as lesvos09.antira.info.

 

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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