Watch these two videos which result from the visit of the noborder delegation to Pagani detention centre. The first video shows again the conditions inside.
The second video is from an interview with two delegates.
the border is the problem…
Welcome To Europe presents the blog formerly known as lesvos09.antira.info
About 100 NoBorder activist met this morning in front of the Prefecture of Lesvos to squat it. The matter of the squat is to point out the responsibility over the horrible circumstances in the detention center of Pagani to the Prefect and to increase pressure: we want the unconditional closure of Pagani detention centre.
Although they could not get inside the Prefecture, the Prefect responded to some demands of NoBorder. 22 Afghans, mainly families, that recently arrived and were hosted by noborder where brought directly to the open refugee camp, without being detained in the detention center of Pagani.
This is an important achievement for noborder: the standard procedure of unconditionally detaining all refugees intercepted in Pagani was finally broken. The families also received their traveling papers, although they needed to buy a ferry ticket to Athens themselves. At present there are about 180 refugees, mainly women with children in the new refugee camp.
Continue reading ’22 refugee received travelling papers without detention’
In the last week over 250 migrants were released from the Pagani detention centre. They have been given 30 days to proceed with their journey. They can contact their relatives, search out possible travel connections and maybe, if they find the time, earn some money. They hope to avoid a repetition of the humiliating, dehumanising experience they had in Pagani. But its not certain. They are continuing to move into unknown territories, in which they still do not necessarily have rights.
We want to wish them a safe journey, to wish them all the best, maybe to exchange phone numbers and email addresses so to better the chance that we might meet again one day. Because today is a good day. They are moving further in the direction of where they want to be. And this is the best step towards fulfilling the promise that every migrant dreams of. And you, you can come with us. Come with us on our parade, come with us and wish those leaving goodye, goodluck and a safe and successful journey.
We here document a speech held on the farewell parade: I think we’ll need a bigger boat – The right to hope.
If you have been following our actions of the last days, you are aware about the immediate necessity to close down the detention centre of Pagani here in Lesvos. Now we call all on everybody out there, wherever you are, to take action. It is quick and easy, and you can really help to make a change: you just need to send a fax or an email.
The NoBorder Radio is online. There will be a 24 hour stream. Music and information around the No Border camp.
It’s necessary that comrades who are still on the way to the camp bring extra blankets, tents, sleeping bags with them. A square has been occupied in the center of Mytilini and a Noborder Info Point for the camp has been set up there. Refugees who have been released from the Pagani detention center are also hosted there, since they are still not able to leave the island. The blankets and tents are necessary for their accomodation at the Info Point.
Thanks to the people spending their time cutting video…
The local authorities are moving: Today, 200 people detained in Pagani, mainly family and women with children, will be released from that horrible jail. They will not be thrown into the streets, rather they will be brought to an existing facility. They will also receive the “white paper”, giving them a semi-legal status for 30 days and granting some freedom of movement within this short period.
We welcome the release of the 200 from Pagani. However, we adamently continue to demand the immediate release of all prisoners from Pagani, the closure of Pagani as a detention centres and the subsequent transformation of Pagani into an open transit centre for refugees offer shelter and food, but no detention.
In the meanwhile, we demand that any refugees and migrants arriving in Lesvos receive the “white paper” immediately without being detained.
The authorities has shown that they are able to move. After this initial step, they now need to take the next step and close Pagani.
Today, we are “officially” opening the Noborder Camp Lesvos 2009. Several hundred people have been in the camp yesterday already, and today saw the arrival of scored of new people. We are still debating how many we are now. But we are definitely more than 500.
Although we start today, the people who came earlier to help set up the camp as well as the people from Lesvos have been active for several days already. The hungerstrike of 150 minors in Pagani detention centre sparked a campaign for the immediate closure of the detention centre which led us to establish a permanent infopoint in Mytilini.
Noborder Lesvos ’09 offers a broad programme. With people from all over the world attending and contributing their individual skills and knowledge, we will form a powerful collective to overcome the realities of the european borders. In workshops, we will exchange and learn from each other. Different actions are targeting authorities responsible for death and suffering at the borders and inside detention centres.
In the meanwhile, a detention centre construction site in Netherlands as well as a former deportation prison in Germany went up in flames.
If you couldn’t make it to Lesvos, you can nevertheless be part of Lesvos09. Follow us on this website, our twitter feed or at your local indymedia. Spread the message about noborder, fill gaps in reporting. We might be calling for collective action, so stay alert!
There will also be a camp radio. Locally, you can listen to it at FM105.05. Web stream, we are still working on it.
No border – No nation.
Shut down all detention centres.
Fight Frontex at Work.
According to a german article from turkishpress.de from August 7 2009 (our translation):
Close to Izmir, 47 illegalised refugees were arrested by the turkish gendarmerie. After their identities were checked, the 37 Palestinians, 3 Afghanis and 7 refugees from Burma said that they had been brought to a strip of coast unknown to them from Istanbul by bus. They were then brought, by two turkish men, to Lesvos with a boat. Afterwards, greek security forces apprehended them. They were robbed of their passports and money, said the refugees.
Afterwards, a Palestinian told under tears, they were brought on two ships of the coastguard. They drove into the sea. Shortly before reaching the waters of Turkey, as the turkish authorities found out, they were told to swim the rest of the distance to the turkish coast.
Voices from the Inside of Pagani (2009)
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