Actionday 07 Oct 2006 - Statement to all social movements!

One year after the :: escalations in Ceuta and Melilla a broad network of migrationrelated initiatives call for freedom of movement in a transnational day of action. In dozens of cities in Europe and also in Africa manifestations and demonstrations are in preparation for 7th of October 2006. To organize such a day of migration-related actions was decided :: on the European Social Forum in May 2006, when about 15.000 people from different social movements met in Athens.

Since last year the militarisation of EU-migration policy has got another instrument :: Frontex! That’s the name of the new European Border Agency, which is located in Warsaw. Frontex organised already :: EU-wide charterdeportations and coordinates an operation now at the coast of West Africa: to intensify controls by ships and airplanes to prevent more so called African boatpeople from reaching Europe. At the moment (:: September 2006) still without meeting any success: every day new boats are landing at the Canary Islands, with more people than ever before, and some starting at about a 1200 km distance from Mauretania or even Senegal. During the last months hundreds of people drowned or died of hunger or of thirst when they risked this new route. And the same is still happening in the Sicilian Channel.

European governments put increasing pressure to African countries to become henchmen for their inhuman migration-policy. Beginning in July 2006 a so-called :: "African European summit on migration and development" took place in Rabat, again mainly in order to push African governments to adopt more systems of migration-control: to implement more visa-restrictions, to establish detention-camps, to accept "repatriation"-programms. Mainly North and West African countries are targets of this externalisation-process at the moment, and they are supposed to block migrants on their way to Europe and help to deport them to the desert or subsaharan countries.

The European governments are responsible for thousands of deaths of African people in the last years; it is a kind of war against migrants and refugees. The above mentioned Frontex-operation is another step in this war, aiming again on the destruction of the (new) flight-routes.

With this backdrop the following call for actions on 7th of October is an important step of common resistance against this inhuman policy. Eastern European activists will protest in front of the aforementioned Frontex-office in Warsaw, while in a press-conference in Nouakchott the illegalisation of migration will be strictly critisized.

From London to Athens, from Hamburg to Barcelona, simultanous demonstrations and actions are exspected in dozens of cities all over Europe. And most important: not only in Mauretania, but also in Marocco, Tunesia and Benin activities have been announced as well.

Planned Initiatives and Actions

  Austria/Wien
Decentralised actions and collective demonstration against detention-camps; Further information at no-racism.net
  Benin Cotounou
Activities at 6th, 7th and 9th of October
  France/Paris
  Germany
Berlin: Manifestation and demonstration against a deportation-camp
contact: konsumfuerfreiesfluten@yahoo.com and fluchtlingsbrandenburgini@yahoo.fr
More Informations at www.chipkartenini.squat.net Hamburg: Nothern-germany-wide demonstration against externalisation and deportation
more informations: www.fluechtlingsrat-hamburg.de/ and at www.nadir.org
Cologne: Demonstration for right to stay
Frankfurt: Concert for right to stay on 6th, Action at the entrance to the international bookfair against externalisation and for the right to stay at 7th.
more informations: aktivgegenabschiebung.de
Thuringia: Manifestation in front of the refugee-camp in Freienbessingen
more informations: www.bergsteigen.net.tc
Nuernberg: Demonstration
Augsburg: Demonstration for the right to stay
Suedbaden/Freiburg: various actions in the city
more infos: www.aktionbleiberecht.de contact: info@aktionbleiberecht.de
Lindau, Germany, there will also be an action by the local amnesty
  Greece
In Thessaloniki, the activities for 7 October by Migrants’ Forum and Antiracist Initiative of Thessaloniki will include
a) The founding assembly of the Migrants’ Forum in Thessaloniki
b) A cultural happening with music from various countries Saturday, 7 October, 18.00, Labor Center
In Thursday October 5, members of the Migrants’ Forum and Antiracist Initiative of Thessaloniki will give press conference with the title "Migrants and local government", regarding the Transnational Action Day against migration-control (7 October) and on the occasion of the forthcoming local government elections.
Contact info: Andreas Karadakis (Antiracist Initiative) 00306972809727 Ilias Ikonomis (Migrants’ Forum) 00306973383289
  Morocco Rabat-conference is proposing an action in Morocco on the 7th of October to remember the dead people in Ceuta and Melilla last year, and that’s why the action should take place at the fence of Ceuta, exactly where these migrants lost their lives. It should be a symbolic action to remember the victims who are still without names.
  UK Friday October 6th
Immigration reporting centre - close it down!
Communications house, Old street, London e1
Assemble 2pm (Check time with organisers)
Called by Global women’s strike/payday/All African women’s group
Contact: sarac@crossroadswomen.net
Saturday 7th October 2006
Scotland
Unity Protest
George square Glasgow
12 midday - 3pm
Together we are strong!
STOP DAWN RAIDS! WE ARE NOT CRIMINALS!
Called by UNITY - the union of asylum seekers and supported by the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees.
Contact: The Unity Centre 30 Ibrox Street Glasgow G51 1AQ 0141 427 7992
theunitycentre@btconnect.com
England
MARCH FOR MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS
Demonstration, March and Rally
Assemble 12 noon Imperial War Museum Park, LONDON
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL! REGULARISATION FOR ALL MIGRANTS! EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!
Supported by Justice for Cleaners, London No Borders, Latin American Workers Association, Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq, Stop Deporting Children, No One Is Illegal, Bolivia Solidarity Campaign, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Hackney Refugee and Migrant Support Group, Day-Mer, RMT, Latin American Community Association, Barfed Wire Britain, Campaign to Close Campsfield and others
OVERSEAS WORKERS NETWORK
Day conference of advice, support, organisation
12-5 East Oxford Community Association, Princes St, OXFORD
Contact: own@unisonoxonhealth.org.uk 01865 456 624 SUNDAY OCTOBER 8TH
CONFERENCE TO BUILD THE MOVEMENT - follow-up from
Saturday’s London demonstration
Main Lecture Theatre, Geography Department, Queen Mary’s University, Mile End LONDON E1
SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CAMPAIGN TO END IMMIGRATION DETENTION
10.30-4.30 Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, LONDON EC2A 3EA
Called by BARBED WIRE BRITAIN NETWORK TO END REFUGEE AND MIGRANT DETENTION
Contact: www.barbedwirebritain.org.uk
  Mauretania
Nouakchott and Nouadhibou: Press-Conferences and days of sensibisation
  Netherlands Amsterdam: Action in the shopping centre of Zaandam (near Amsterdam) to inform and mobilize the public on the two newly build detention boats in the Zaandam harbour.
Contact: info@allincluded.nl
  Poland
Warsaw: Demonstration with refugees from chechnia and manifestation in front of Frontex-office
  Spain
Actions or demonstrations in Madrid, Barcelona, Almería, Valencia, Málaga
  Tunisia
  Italy