Tag Archive for 'Frontex'

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New hungerstrike in Pagani

Some activists went to Pagani and learnt that there is a new hungerstrike on. 47 minors are on hungerstrike, and four are not even drinking. They don’t receive any medical support. Shut down Pagani!

DSC08485 Kopie

update 4.9.09 A lot has happened. The hunger strike in Pagani is still on, and as reported above, some people even took to a thirst strike. There was a solidarity action at the detention centre yesterday. What is really bad is that they still incarcerate women with babies in Pagani, as you can see on the pictures from yesterday, and the open camp at the airport will be closed tomorrow. So it seems that the authorities really do get back to business as usual. We will not accept this, for sure. In the meanwhile, there is a lot YOU can do. Our video Voices from Inside Pagani has been shown on several TV stations, we know of both German state TV channels, the Dutch TV and CNN (but they always falsly claim that a human rights organisation put the video online. Of course it was noborder). Indeed, the situation in Pagani made news globally, and the heat is still on. You can help by making a protest in your city at the Greek embassy or consulate (if there is), like our friends in Wellington, New Zealand (!) did. You can also follow our email campaign.

In the meanwhile, the Frontex boat from Romania has left, and has been replaced by some military style outfits, having even a special “Operation Poseidon” t-shirt. Last time, they were seen controlling (quite brutally) people that take the ferry to Athens (sic). So there is two conclusions you can take from that: either that Frontex is really doing much more than policing the borders, also starting to take their actions into Schengen mainland, or you are of the impression that Europe is one big border anyway.

Film about Harbour Action

film

Liberation of a boat

Today, it was noborder’s action day against the practices of the coast guard and their support by the European Border Agency Frontex. At present, Frontex is here in Lesvos with one ship. We already managed to drive them away once, today, they retreated to the open sea and set anchor there. It it too obvious that they couldn’t accept out decent challenge, they seem to prefer to hunt migrants at night.

Continue reading ‘Liberation of a boat’

Prologue to the Lesvos Noborder camp

Released Pagani migrants and No Borders activists together drive Frontex away Today in the port of Mitilini, Lesvos a demonstration was held concerning the refugees recently released from the detention centre in Pagani with no means to support themselves. A symbolic blockade took place to show that while holidaymakers come and go freely, many migrants are trapped on Lesvos in a situation of complete destitution. Leaflets (pdf: gr, en) were distributed to hundreds of passing tourists and locals in several languages explaining the situation the migrants are facing.

This action was a reaction to the dismissive release of a group of 38 migrants from the Pagani detention centre on Thurday. The plenary of the Noborder camp decided not only to attempt to meet the basic needs of the migrants by inviting them to come to the noborder camp but also to make their situation visible to the local population and to increase pressure on the local authorities to provide a real solution.

Continue reading ‘Prologue to the Lesvos Noborder camp’

Frontex in the Mediterranean

This article about the practices and strategies of Frontex concerning the European sea borders was published in the brochure Frontex – Widersprüche im erweiterten Grenzraum by the “Informationsstelle Militarisierung” in German. Here is a translated version without the references included in the original article.

Frontex in the Mediterranean – Of Grey areas and legalisations of a different kind

Continue reading ‘Frontex in the Mediterranean’

Demonstration 13.08. Mytilini

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:

20 min past midnight

Frontex boat leaves Mytilini habor, fast and almost without light. Only one dim little light signalizes the present of the boat.

frontex 2-30.07

Forty min after midnight

As the night passes by, while the Ouzu circulates and the people are celebrating, the greek coast guard is sneaking out of the harbour: a ghost ship, leaving like criminals. Two hours before, the Frontex ship left fully illuminated. You might call it a role play: Europe having a clean slate and Greece…

Frontex, the Movie feat. noborder camp in lesvos 2009

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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Archives

Voices from the Inside of Pagani (2009)

Watch the video