Statement on the events in the State Initial Reception Center (LEA) for asylum seekers in Ellwangen on the occasion of the prevention of a deportation.

May 07, 2018 | Declaration on Ellwangen (English and French: below). Civil courage is necessary, not criminal – solidarity with the resistance of refugees against deportations!

Statement by: Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo.

On April 30, 2018, residents of the State Initial Reception Center (LEA) for asylum seekers in Ellwangen / Baden-Würtemberg jointly prevented the Dublin deportation of a young man from Togo to Italy. They surrounded the patrol car in which the police wanted to take away their roommate and enforced that handcuffs had to be taken off him and that he could leave. According to reports, 150 to 200 people participated in this action of spontaneous collective resistance.

First of all, we would like to express our thanks and respect to the residents of the Ellwangen camp who were involved. They did what was humanly obvious and necessary: they rushed to the aid of a distressed person who was to be torn from their midst and deported by force and violence. With their bodies and their voices, they have shown solidarity and civil courage against an overpowering state apparatus, even though their own lives in Germany are more than precarious. Their actions are a model for all of us who do not want to resign ourselves to a culture of deportations, in which it is supposedly normal for people to be torn from our midst every day.

We protest in the strongest terms against the large-scale police operation, with which the solidary action of the refugees was answered. With the declared aim of “breaking resistance,” martial-appearing special police units stormed the camp in the early morning hours of May 3. They arrested the man, who was freed the day before, and checked 292 residents. People were torn from their sleep by the police and tied up with cable ties. Eleven residents were injured, some of them when they jumped out of the windows out of fear. 10 people accused of being “troublemakers” are to be moved to other shelters. If civil courage is punished in such a way, if refugees are beaten into only suffering quietly and not resisting injustice and arbitrariness under any circumstances, then this does not reveal an understanding of the rule of law, but rather the thought patterns of an authoritarian authoritarian state.

Furthermore, we oppose the deep-seated racism that is revealed in the media coverage as well as in the public statements of politicians from AFD and CDU/CSU to the Baden-Württemberg Greens about the events in Ellwangen, when refugees, especially from African countries, are stereotyped as either dangerous, violent or inflamed “hordes”. Such speech is not only degrading, but also dangerous because it prepares the ground for future acts of racist violence.

What is urgently needed, on the other hand, is to take a serious look at the reasons why a young person flees Togo. The West African country, once colonized by Germany, has been ruled for 51 years by a dictatorial presidential regime that was passed on from Eyadéma Gnassingbé to his son Faure Gnassingbé, who to this day strictly refuses to relinquish power. The Togolese regime has only been able to hold its own for so long through political and economic cooperation with the former colonial powers – among other things, Germany has so far steadfastly continued to pay so-called development funds that help to bolster the regime in Togo. Since August 2017, large parts of the population in Togo have taken to the streets to demand political democratization and the departure of President Faure Gnassingbé. The regime is trying to suppress the mass protests with brutal repression. The seriousness of the current situation has so far not been adequately reflected in the situation reports of the Federal Foreign Office and in the decision-making practice of the BAMF regarding asylum applications of Togolese refugees. If one speaks of the rule of law, consistent action would be required here!

Another necessary consequence to be drawn from events such as those in Ellwangen would be to finally acknowledge the failure of the Dublin regulation – failure above all in the sense of the refugees who are subject to it. If a Togolese asylum seeker is not willing to be deported from Germany to Italy, there are reasons for this. This is because many of the African refugees arriving in Italy live there in complete poverty and lack of prospects. The Dublin system denies them a safe foothold elsewhere in Europe, and many refugees are thus chased from country to country across Europe without rights for years. To change this state of affairs would be necessary not least in the sense of a collective responsibility of all EU states for the survivors of the deadly flight and migration routes through the Sahara and across the Mediterranean. After all, it is the EU states that have allowed many thousands of people to die in the Mediterranean and Sahara through their denial of safe travel routes and the establishment of rigid migration controls. Enabling the survivors to arrive safely and to process their traumatizing flight experiences would be the very least.

We demand from those responsible in Baden Würtemberg:

• Stop the Dublin deportation to Italy and immediately release the young Togolese man from deportation custody!
• No criminal prosecutions and forced relocations for residents of the LEA Ellwangen because of participation in the prevention of deportation!
• The return of personal property confiscated by the police during the search of the LEA Ellwangen on May 3!

In addition, we demand:

• Politicians of all parties to refrain from racist diatribes and defamation against refugees!
• Media representatives to refrain from racially charged stereotyping of refugees and people of African origin, as well as to maintain journalistic diligence in reporting on police operations and civil disobedience actions!
• A fundamental reassessment of the situation in Togo from the Foreign Office and an appropriate consideration of the reasons for flight of Togolese asylum seekers from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees!
• From the Federal Republic of Germany and the other member states of the EU the stop of all Dublin deportations, the abolition of the Dublin regulation, as well as protection and security for the survivors of the Sahara and Mediterranean refugee routes!

Signatories:
Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo

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07 May 2018 | Declaration on Ellwangen
Civil Courage is Necessary, not Criminal – Solidarity with the Resistance of Refugees against Deportations!

Declaration by Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo

Declaration on the events at the Centre for Asylum Seekers (Landeserstaufnahmestelle (LEA) für Asylsuchende) in Ellwangen on the occasion of the prevention of a deportation

On 30 April 2018 inhabitants of the Centre for Asylum Seekers (Landeserstaufnahmestelle (LEA) für Asylsuchende) in Ellwangen / Baden-Württemberg prevented the Dublin deportation of a young man from Togo to Italy. Together they surrounded a police car with which the police wanted to take away their fellow habitant and managed to achieve that his handcuffs had to be removed and he had to be let go. According to reports, 150 to 200 people took part in this act of spontaneous collective resistance.

We would like to first of all express our gratitude and respect to the inhabitants of the Ellwangen Lager. They did what was obvious and necessary in human terms: to come to the aid of a hated human being that was to be pulled out of their midst and deported with force and violence. They showed true solidarity and civil courage with their bodies and voices against an all-powerful state apparatus, even though their own lives in Germany are more than precarious. Their action is exemplary for all of us who do not want to resign themselves to a culture of deportations, in which it is allegedly normal that people are taken out of our midst on a daily basis.

We strongly criticise the huge police operation as a response to the act of solidarity of the refugees. With the declared aim “breaking resistance”, special units of the police stormed the camp in a warlike fashion in the early hours of 3 May. They arrested the man who had been liberated the day before and controlled 292 inhabitants. People were woken sharply and handcuffed with cable ties. Eleven inhabitants were injured, some because they jumped out of the windows out of fear. 10 people who are accused of being the “troublemakers” are supposed to be transferred to other centers. If civil courage is punished in such a way, if people seeking refuge are beaten into just enduring in silence and not – under no circumstance – oppose injustice and arbitrariness, this does not reveal an understanding of the rule of law, but the thought patterns of an authoritarian state.

What is more, we stand up against the deeply seated racism that came to light in the media coverage as well as in the public statements of politicians ranging from AFD and CDU/CSU to the Green Party of Baden-Württemberg with regard to the events at Ellwangen: refugees have been stereotyped as either dangerous, violent or inflamed “hordes”. Such a language is not only degrading, but also dangerous because it prepares the ground for future racist acts of violence.

In contrast, it would be urgently needed to deal seriously with the reasons why a young man from Togo is fleeing his country. In this West African country that used to be colonised by Germany a dictatorial presidential regime has been ruling for 51 years. Eyadéma Gnassingbé transmitted his rule to his son Faure Gnassingbé who strictly refuses to give up power. The Togolese regime could only stay in power due to the political and economic cooperation with the former colonial power – amongst others, Germany continues to provide financial, so-called development aid that bolsters the regime. Since August 2017, large parts of the population have taken to the streets in Togo to obtain political democratisation and the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbé. The regime tries to suppress the mass protests with brutal violence. The severity of the current situation has until now not been acknowledged appropriately by the status reports of the Foreign Office and in the decision making practice of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees on asylum applications by Togolese refugees. If one speaks of the rule of law, it would require consistent action in this regard!

Another necessary conclusion to draw from events such as in Ellwangen would be to finally acknowledge the failure of the “Dublin” regulations – a failure first of all with regards to the refugees who are subject to it. If a Togolese asylum seeker is not prepared to be deported
from Germany to Italy, there are reasons for this. Because many African refugees who arrive in Italy live in conditions of absolute poverty and lack of perspective. Due to the Dublin system they are denied the possibility to settle down safely elsewhere in Europe, and many refugees are chased from one country to the next for many years without rights. To change this situation would after all be a requisite response – and in line with collective responsibility of all EU states – to the survivors of the deadly flight and migration routes through the Sahara and the Mediterranean. Because it is the EU states who let many thousands of people die in the Mediterranean and the Sahara through their denial of safe travel routes and the installation of rigid migration control. To provide safe arrival and the processing of traumatising flight experiences would be the least.

We demand from the officials in Baden-Württemberg:

• To stop the Dublin deportations to Italy and immediately release the young man from Togo from the Asylum Centre in Ellwangen!
• No criminal prosecution and enforced transfer of inhabitants of the Asylum Centre Ellwangen because of the involvement in preventing the deportation!
• The return of any personal belong that was seized by the police in the course of the raid of the Asylum Centre Ellwangen on 3 May 2018!

Furthermore, we demand:

• From politicians of all parties, to stop all racist inflammatory speech and defamation of refugees!
• From media representatives, to stop the racist stereotyping of refugees and people of African descent, as well as to maintain journalistic care in the coverage of police operations and actions of civil disobedience!
• From the Foreign Office a fundamental reassessment of the situation in Togo and from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees an appropriate consideration of the reasons for Togolese asylum seekers to flee!
• From the Federal Republic of Germany and the other members states of the European Union the stop of all Dublin deportations, the abolition of the Dublin regulation, as well as the protection and safety of the survivors of the Sahara and Mediterranean routes!

Signed by:
Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo
07 May 2018 | Déclaration sur Ellwangen (francais)
Le courage civique est une nécessité – pas un acte criminel! Solidarité avec la résistance des réfugié(e)s contre les expulsions!

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Déclaration par : Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo

Déclaration concernant les événements au camp de réfugié(e)s de Ellwangen (Landeserstaufnahmestelle (LEA) für Asylsuchende) après qu’une expulsion était activement stoppée

Le 30 Avril 2018, des habitant(e)s du camp de réfugié(e)s de Ellwangen (Landeserstaufnahmestelle (LEA) für Asylsuchende) à Baden-Würtemberg ont collectivement stoppé l’expulsion de “Dublin” d’un jeune homme togolais en Italie. Ils encerclaient la voiture avec lequel les policiers voulaient emporter leur colocataire et réussissaient que la police devait le libérer des menottes et le laisser partir. Selon des rapports, entre 150 et 200 gens participaient dans cette action de résistance collective et spontanée.

Tout d’abord, nous déclarons notre profond respect et remerciement aux habitant(e)s du camp de réfigié(e)s à Ellwangen qui ont participé dans cette action. Ils/Elles ont fait ce qui est logique et nécessaire d’un point de vu humain: De venir au secours d’un être humain qui devrait être arraché par force de leur communauté pour être expulsé. Avec leurs corps et leurs voix, ils/elles ont donné un exemple de la solidarité et du courage civique contre un appareil d’état prépotent, malgré que le propre vie en Allemagne est plus que précaire. Leur acte donne un exemple à tous d’entre nous qui ne sont pas prêt(e)s à vivre avec une culture d’expulsions où c’est normale que chaque jour, des gens sont arraché(e)s de nos communautés.

Nos condamnons forcément l’opération policière massive avec laquelle l’acte solidaire des réfugié(e)s était répondu. Avec le but déclaré de “briser la résistance”, des forces spéciales martiales de la police attaquaient le camp le matin du 3 Mai. Ils arrêtaient l’homme qui pouvait être libéré à la veille et contrôlaient 292 habitant(e)s du camp. Des gens étaient violemment réveillé(e)s par la police et ligoté(e)s avec des colliers de serrage. 11 habitant(e)s étaient blessé(e)s, plusieur(e)s d’entre eux en sautant des fenêtres à cause de la peur. 10 gens, qui sont accusé(e)s d’être des “fauteurs”, seront transféré(e)s dans des autres camps. Si le courage civique est tellement châtié, si on cherche à forcer les réfugié(e)s de seulement subir calmément et de jamais résister contre l’injustice et l’arbitraire, ca ne montre pas une compréhension d’état de droit, mais plutôt l’idéologie d’un état autoritaire.

En plus, nous condamnons le racisme profond qui se manifest dans la couverture médiatique et aussi dans les propos publiques de politicien(ne)s du AFD, du CDU/CSU et aussi des Verts de Baden-Württemberg concernant les événements à Ellwangen, if the personnes réfugié(e)s, surtout de pays africains, sont stéréotypisé(e)s comme des “hordes” “dangereuses”, “violentes” ou “excitées”. Un tel langage n’est pas seulement humiliant, mais aussi dangereux comme il prépare le terrain pour des nouveaux crimes de violence raciste.

Par contre, il serait indispensable de considérer sérieusement les raisons à cause desquelles un jeune homme se fuit du Togo. Dans ce pays, qui était jadis colonisé par l’Allemagne, il y reigne un régime présidentiel dictatorial depuis 51 ans. Ce reigne était transmis par Eyadéma Gnassingbé à son fils Faure Gnassingbé, qui refuse strictement jusqu’à nos jours de dégager le pouvoir. Le régime togolais pouvait seulement s’accrocher au pouvoir pendant aussi longtemps à travers la coopération politique et économique avec les anciennes puissances coloniales – l’Allemagne, par exemple, continue à payer des soi-disantes “aides au développement” qui aident à renforcer le régime togolais. Since August 2017, large parts of the Togolese population have been protesting in the streets for political democratization and the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbé. Le régime cherche à opprimer les protestations massives avec la répression brutale. Cette situation actuelle très sérieuse n’est pas bien prise en compte ni dans les rapports du Ministère d’Affaires Étrangères allemand ni dans les prises de décision de l’Office Fédéral de Migration et Réfugiés (BAMF) sur les applications d’asile par des réfugié(e)s togolais(e)s. Si on parle d'”état de droit”, c’est dans cette domaine où des actes conséquents seraient excigés!

Une autre conséquence qui serait à tirer des événements de Ellwangen serait de finalement valider l’échec du règlement de “Dublin” – un échec surtout au sens des personnes réfugié(e)s qui sont soumis(e)s à ce règlement. Si un demandeur d’asile togolais n’est prêt à se laisser expulser de l’Allemagne en Italie, il y en a des raisons, comme beaucoup de réfugié(e)s africain(e)s qui arrivent en Italie y vivent en pauvreté et désespérence totale. Le système de “Dublin” les empêche de s’installer en sécurité et dignité ailleurs en Europe ce qui fait que beaucoup de personnes réfugié(e)s s sont chassé(e)s ohne droit d’un pays à l’autre à travers l’Europe pendant des années. De changer cette situation correspondrait aussi à la responsabilité collective de tous les pays de l’UE pour les rescapé(e)s des routes migratoires mortelles à travers le Sahara et la Méditerrannée. Because it is the EU member states that, by refusing secure travel and imposing restrictive controls on migration, have caused the deaths of millions of people in the Mediterranean and the Sahara. De faciliter aux rescapé(e)s d’arriver finalement sauf et sain et de bien traiter les expériences traumatisantes de leur fuite serait la moindre chose à faire.

Nous exigeons des responsables à Baden Würtemberg :

• Arrêtez immédiatement l’expulsion Dublin du jeune homme togolais en Italie et liberez-le de la prison d’expulsion!
• Aucune poursuite pénale et aucun transfer forcé pour les habitant(s) du camp de réfugié(e)s (LEA) à Ellwangen pour avoir stoppé l’expulsion!
• Restitution de tous les biens personnels qui étaient consfisqués par la police pendant la foulle du camp de réfugié(e)s à Ellwangen le 3 Mai!

Nous excigeons en plus:

• Que les politicien(ne)s de tous les partis politiques arrêtent de prononcer des propos de hâte racistes et des diffamations contre des personnes réfugié(e)s!
• Que les représentant(s) des médias arrêtent de publier des stéréotypes racistes des réfugié(e)s et des personnes d’origine africaine, et en plus de maintenir la diligence journaliste dans la couverture d’opérations policière et d’actions de désobéisance civile!
• Du Ministère d’Affaires Étrangères allemand une réévaluation profonde de la situation au Togo et de l’Office Fédéral de Migration et Réfugiés (BAMF) une prise en compte juste des raisons de fuite des demandeurs d’asile togolais(e)s!
• De la République Fédérale de l’Allemagne et des autres pays membres de l’UE l’arrêt de tous les expulsions Dublin, l’abolition du règlement de Dublin et la protection et la sécurité pour les rescapé(e)s des trajets migratoires du Sahara et de la Méditerrannée!

Signé par:
Afrique-Europe-Interact, ATE (Association Togolaise des Expulsés // Togolese Association of Deportees, Sokodé/Togo), berlin postkolonial e.V., glokal e.V., Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), No Stress Tour, Urgence Togo