Mittwoch, 28. April 2010

Lesvos Solidarity Network-

Solidarity Message

The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing
(Albert Einstein)


Living on the border line, we daily witness the state’s repression. Fortress Europe is organized -on the consensus of the Greek governments- facing the victims of its actions as a threat. Refugees are either the victims of the conflicts left behind by the colonialization, or the victims of the neocolonial politics of the West World. Once arriving here, refugees have to face the repression on the borders living behind thousands of deaths, detention centers, unexisting asylum systems and massive deportations. Samos’ island recent example, clearly demonstrates the policies chosen by the European governments. In these detention centers people are categorized in “deportables” and “not deportables” by FRONTEX. Afterwards they are transferred at the detention centers in the Greek-Turkish borders, in the region of Evros, where we lose any contact with them. The emotional statements such as “Dante’s Inferno” (Vice Minister’s statement after visiting Pagani’s detention center, Lesvos island, October 2009) are meaningless when followed by repression and exclusion policies.
In this context of “economic recession”, we watch with terror the European governments trying to preserve the neoliberal model by any means. We witness with terror the strengthening of organized racism and its facist branches as an alternative to the neoliberal globalization. We have already experienced this solution in the past. We react now. We either exclude racism now, or we’ll confront with it in the future. It’s a matter that concerns all of us.

The victims of the neoliberal capitalism won’t pay its crisis.

We express our dynamic presence against social injustice.
Abolish FRONTEX and the Dublin II Regulation.
We will fight against any effort of enforcement of repression.


Lesvos Solidarity Network
April 2010

Montag, 26. April 2010

Welcome to Europe Network in April 2010

NO BORDER LASTS FOREVER!

5 years Frontex – 5 Years Ceuta Melilla

5 years ago in May 2005, Frontex, the European border agency, started its work with a few pilot projects. Today, Frontex is permanently involved in militarized sea- and land-operations against refugees and migrants on the European border as well as in the coordination of charter-deportations. Frontex is the driving force on different levels intensifying the repressive system of migration-control even beyond EU-borders. In their mission, to combat so-called illegal migration, Frontex is willing to accept the death of thousands of refugees in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Thus Frontex represents one of the main counterparts in our struggle for freedom of movement.

5 years ago in October 2005 migrants and refugees have been shot to death on their way to Europe – trying to overcome the fences of the Spanish exclaves in Ceuta and Melilla. The collective storm with self-made ladders against Fortress Europe was met by the use of rubber and even live bullets of the Spanish and Moroccan border guards. Thus Ceuta and Melilla visualize and symbolize the brutality of the European border regime against flight and migration.

Undermining the European Border regime! No one is illegal!

Inside and outside Europe, refugees and migrants move from one country to another one, looking for a better future and a secure life, refusing the forced order of capitalist exploitation and modern apartheid. Movements of flight and migration challenge the system of global injustice and undermine its racist hierarchies and differentials.

Regulation of migration and the systematic denial of rights go against the demand for equality, justice and freedom. All human beings have the right to decide on their own where and how they want to live, regardless of their origins or their identities.

WELCOME TO EUROPE!

We are calling to oppose and to resist all forms of migration control.

We are calling for support on entry and access.

We are calling for help in the continuation of migrants' journeys into and through Europe.

We are calling for provision of work and to support migrant workers' struggles.

We are calling for the supply of identity papers, medical care, education and training, of accommodation.

Because no one is illegal.

Reclaiming global social rights for everybody the Welcome-to-Europe-Network supports the daily struggles of migrants and refugees against the European border regime on their way to and through Europe. (see www.w2eu.info)

5 years later we call and mobilize for a summer of events, visualizing the close link between the Frontex operations of today and the death on the EU borders, symbolized in the dying at the fences of Ceuta and Melilla.

5 years later we call to interconnect a series of actions. We begin in may in Warsaw, where the Frontex headquarters are located and an „European day of Boarder Guards“ will be officially celebrated and we finish the chain of actions in October in Melilla in remembrance of the 5th anniversary of the border-killings from 2005:

-- Join the conference and protest in Warsaw on the 23rd and 24th of May, when Frontex cynically celebrates its 5th anniversary with amongst others an exhibition “Surveillance Technology for Border Control”, see more soon at www.noborder.org

-- Join the week of actions against the deportation machinery from 1st to 6th of June, a week of decentralized protests against charter deportations and Frontex, see http://stopdeportation.net/node/41

-- Join the Caravan-Festival in Jena from 4th to 6th of June: „Unite against colonial injustice in memory of the dead victims of Fortress Europe“, see www.karawane-festival.org

-- Join the European Social Forum in Istanbul from 1st to 4th of July with workshops and protests against Frontex and the externalisation of the EU-border regime, see more soon at www.noborder.org

-- Join the swarming noborder activities in Greece from 25th of August until 12th of September 2010, where the biggest sea-operation of Frontex is announced and also their involvement in new screening-centers and in coordinating charter deportations on the islands of Lesvos and Samos, see http://lesvos09.antira.info

-- Join the nobordercamp in Brussels from 24h of September to 3rd of October with actions against the EU-migration-regime in the decision-making-center of EU, see http://nobordersbxl.noblogs.org

-- Join the remembrance in Melilla in the days before the 7th of October in Melilla, with a conference in Oujda, see more soon at www.noborder.org

Welcome to Europe Network in April 2010

Sonntag, 25. April 2010

WARNING TO TRAVELLERS STRANDED IN CALAIS

WARNING TO TRAVELLERS STRANDED IN CALAIS


As you are undoubtably aware, safety concerns surrounding the ash plume
from the Icelandic volcano has led to an extenstive disruption to
European flight services.

Large numbers of travellers are currently stranded in Calais desiring to
cross the channel by both ferry and eurotunnel. This, of course, has
been widely reported. However, what is little known, is the response of
the French government, Calais administration, and police to the
situation. Reports have been made of increasing police harrassment of
travellers who have become stranded in Calais.

- If you are unable to provide your ID upon request this may lead to
temporary detention whilst your identity is ascertained. (Do not
leave your passport in your hotel room)

- If you have been unable to find accomodation, be careful camping
around Calais. People who have pitched tents in the dunes and on the
beach have been repeatedly harrassed. In some cases, their tents,
sleeping bags and other property have been taken and/or destroyed and
their drinking water poured into the sand. There have also been
reports of violent behaviour during these police operations. (We
suggest you find as secret a place to camp as possible)

- Police are currently undertaking regular patrols of parks, beaches,
dunes, disused car parks, and the town centre looking for people who
are camping or are parked.

- Three young students who allowed a lone scared & stranded woman to
sleep with them in their van overnight were arrested by police. They
were held for fourteen hours in solitary confinement before being
released without charge.

- As many travellers are on a shoestring budget and have been
unexpectedly stranded, local charities have begun to distribute food
twice a day. However, some travellers have reported that police
presence leads them to fear attending the food distribution point.

This leaflet was produced to draw attention to the current situation in
Calais and the extreme response by the police and government agencies.

--------------

Mittwoch, 21. April 2010

Footballgame from minor refugees in ANOGIA Crete

they build walls-we build bridges of solidarity.

the footbal team MIKTIKOSMOU (mixedworld) ahd an impressive presence last sunday in Anogia.
the footbal game was played to honour the refugees in the detention center of SAMOS being in hungestrike.

ΓΛΥΚΙΑ ΗΤΤΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΝΩΓΕΙΑ

ΜΕΓΑΛΕΙΩΔΗΣ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΜΙΚΤΗΣ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ

Μεγαλειώδη εμφάνιση πραγματοποίησε η ομάδα μας MIKTIKOSMOU την περασμένη Κυριακή στα Ανώγεια. Κόντρα στη δυναμική, ταχύτατη, νεανική ομάδα των ασυνόδευτων παιδιών, ανήλικων προσφύγων από το Αφγανιστάν, κόντρα στο υψόμετρο που επέδρασε καθοριστικά στις κινήσεις των παικτών μας και στον καυτό ήλιο, η ομάδα κατάφερε να ηττηθεί με το τιμητικό 4–2 που δίνει δυνατότητες πρόκρισης στον επαναληπτικό αγώνα και υποσχέσεις για το μέλλον.

Σε κάθε περίπτωση κερδίσαμε σε αγάπη και εκτίμηση και μας δόθηκε η ευκαιρία να εκφράσουμε ανάλογα αισθήματα.

Η ΥΠΟΔΟΧΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΦΙΛΟΞΕΝΙΑ των παιδιών και των εργαζόμενων στον ξενώνα, ΥΠΕΡΟΧΗ. Η συνάντησή μας μετά την απονομή, ΔΥΝΑΤΗ και ΕΓΚΑΡΔΙΑ. Τα τραγούδια και οι χοροί δώσαν και πήραν.

Το ραντεβού που κλείστηκε για την παρουσία των παιδιών στο Φεστιβάλ, ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΟ.


Ο ποδοσφαιρικός αγώνας αφιερώνεται στους απεργούς πείνας

του κέντρου κράτησης μεταναστών της Σάμου


ΧΩΡΑ ΜΟΥ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΟΛΟΣ Ο ΚΟΣΜΟΣ, ΛΑΟΣ ΜΟΥ ΤΟ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΙΝΟ ΕΙΔΟΣ

www.stekichania.gr

Dienstag, 20. April 2010

Le quotidien des sans-papiers

Témoignage d’une personne déportée en charter par Frontex

mis en ligne lundi 19 avril 2010 par jesusparis

http://www.hns-info.net/spip.php?article22965

J’ai eu le choc de ma vie quand on a commencé notre voyage de Tinsley à l’aéroport. Nous sommes restés dans le bus de 11h jusqu’à 18h sans pouvoir en sortir. Quand on était dans le bus, on ne pouvait pas bouger ou se mettre debout parce que chaque détenu était escorté de deux gardes. Mais les gardes eux-mêmes changeaient toutes les 30 min alors que nous, détenus, étions comme des poissons dans un bocal. Mes jambes étaient grosses et lourdes comme je ne les avais jamais vues. Chaque heure était un combat pour nous. J’ai commencé à me sentir de plus en plus faible, mon sang ne circulait plus. On n’était pas préparés à ce vol. Partout où je regardais, je voyais une punition mais sans crime.

Il y avait beaucoup de femmes qui étaient tristes et des enfants en bas âges avec elles. Les enfants pleuraient très fort en voyant comme leur parents étaient traités. Il y avait beaucoup de nouveau-nés et des mineurs sans leurs parents sur ce vol, leurs visages étaient tristes. Nous avons décollé de l’aéroport, ce n’était pas celui de Gatwick. Nous avons atterri à Dublin où d’autres gens nous ont rejoints. Les détenus à Dublin arrivaient dans des fourgons pénitenciers et étaient menottés. Beaucoup avait été battus avant d’être montés dans l’avion. Même en Grande Bretagne, un mineur avaient violemment frappés quand il avait crié : « J’ai quitté le Nigéria à trois ans, je n’ai plus personne là-bas ». Un garde est venu et lui a dit de se taire et de se calmer. Les hurlements se sont faits plus forts à mesure que les coups étaient plus violents. J’ai entendu un hurlement ; c’étaient des pleurs. Et puis l’équipe médicale s’est occupée du gars.

Nous sommes partis de Dublin pour l’Espagne, et là ça a été le pire de tout : les femmes comme les hommes étaient menottées et leurs jambes entravées. Les deux gardes se sont aperçus que mes jambes étaient grosses. Le garde qui était à ma gauche m’a demandé si j’avais un problème aux jambes. J’ai répondu que j’avais des varices. Immédiatement, les gardes ont appelé l’équipe médicale qui m’ont que je n’avais rien à faire sur ce vol. Le garde leur a demandé ce qu’il fallait faire. Ils ont dit qu’il fallait que je marche ou que j’ai une place où je pourrais mettre mes jambes en hauteur. Je pouvais à peine soulever mes jambes. Ça me faisait mal et me rendait malade. À chaque fois que je repense à la manière dont on nous a traité, ça m’écœure.

On ne m’a pas donné mon dossier médical alors que je l’ai réclamé plein de fois. Encore aujourd’hui j’ai des douleurs. Nous étions effrayés dans l’avion. J’étais effrayé par le nombre de personnes qui ne voulaient pas retourner dans leur pays. J’ai eu des attaques de panique quand j’ai vu comment les gardes frappaient les gens qui résistaient. Même à l’aéroport, beaucoup de gens ont été violentés et en Espagne, la police insultait les gens et les frappait. Quand je suis allé au toilettes, j’ai vu que les détenus qui venaient d’Espagne étaient menottés. Quand j’ai demandé aux flics pourquoi, ils ont essayé de me frapper. La police anglaise les a arrêté à cause de mon état.

Il y avait beaucoup d’enfants qui pleuraient du fait des coups et des hurlements dans l’avion. Toutes ces choses auxquelles je ne m’attendais pas m’ont rappelé ma dernière expérience de torture. Beaucoup de ceux qui venaient de Grande Bretagne criaient qu’ils avaient encore des procédures judiciaires en cours et que leurs femmes et enfants étaient en Grande Bretagne. Beaucoup parlaient aussi de leurs biens.

À ma grande surprise nous n’avons pas atterri dans un aéroport normal mais sur un terrain appelé NACO AIRPORT (aéroport pour les cargos). Et avant que nous ne descendions de l’avion, tous les bagages avaient été balancés sur le terrain sans sécurité et plusieurs bagages avaient disparu.

Donnerstag, 15. April 2010

Announcement from Group for the Human Rights-Solidarity to Refugees Samos

Announcement

On Monday, 12 of April the refuges detained in Samos Detention Center came on a hunger strike in which participate the great majority (126 hunger strikers in 150 detainees). The reason was the two massive transportations happened in 21 of March and 9 of April (60 refugees transferred in the northen greek borders each time). They react because they afraid that they will be the next that gone be transferred in the northen greek borders in order to be deported, despite the fact that the massive deportations are illegal and consist clear violation of human rights.

The most of them are palaistinians and they gave us a text in which they announce that it’s better for them to commit suicide than be deported. They pretend on their right to be released with formal papers and tickets and not go through any kind of violence. According their denounce, they have been violated to sign papers in an unknown language without any translator. Also, no one have inform them about their rights. Furthermore, the police change their nationalities in order to deport them, and because they cannot proof their nationalities and their problems, so there is no any concrete asylum procedure because in reality.

They also denounce us that on Tuesday, 13 of April in the morning there happened a violent incident. The police-guards bit a refugee and then they send him in the Samos’ hospital.

The Group for the Human Rights- Solidarity to Refugees tried from the beginning to go near the refugees, to discuss their problems and to hear their demands. On Tuesday, 13 of April ten members of our group went in the detention center so to have a contact with the refugees. Suddenly the police commander denied our entrance because “there is no need any more” according their words. We stayed outside the cump trying to communicate with the refugees from outside the fence. The police terrorized us trying to keep us away. The police accused us that the revolt is our blame and they asked our identities.

We are sure that both the increased deportations and the denial of the access to the group is the result of the taught migration policy and of the permanent and improved role of FRONTEX on the island. We know that FRONTEX works 24 hours per day in the airport.

….

Solidarity to the refugeesstruggle. We demand the acceptance of their demands. Deport FRONTEX!

14 April 2010

Group for the Human Rights-Solidarity to Refugees

Samos

Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

requests by 126 refugees in Samos-14 frontex agents in the detention center!


The requests are signed by 126 refugees, most of them palestinians. They are on a hunger strike since yesterday, monday. There are 150-200 prisoners in total. They have raised 3 big signs. FREEDOM! WE ARE NOT ANIMALS, and the third one something like: we came here to seek for protection, we are not criminals, why are we in jail? Why are there any borders?

There have been two group deportations, and the detainees claim that they will commit suicide because they know that they will be the next group to deport.

In the afternoon in the camp there were 14 frontex agents!

This morning a guy who refused to enter the restaurant and eat because he is on a hunger strike was bit by a cop until he fainted. At first they moved him to the hospital but after a few hours they took him at the police station so that no one can contact him or take any pictures of his wounds.


Dienstag, 13. April 2010

hunderds in hungerstrike in Samos detention center

last night hundreds of migrants started hunger strike at samos detention center.

Their banners write "freedom! and "we are not animals".

They accuse frontex officials for changing their nationalities to proceed in deportations.

Montag, 12. April 2010

postcards from lesvos to print and distribute










Forgot to buy postcards from Lesvos last summer? Some of the images you see in the postcards might look familiar, others where taken a long time a go but on the same spots, at a alike stituation… . Please feel free to print and distribute them in your town, if you like so.

http://lesvos09.antira.info/2010/04/06/souvenir-from-lesvos-2/#more-1542

Sonntag, 11. April 2010

do refugees have to die to be respected in Greece?


last goodby for 15 year old afghan Hamidula Natjafi

the 15 years old Hamidula, killed in the center of athens, from a bomb that exploded in his hands, while he and his mother and junger sister where looking in garbage bags, for food rests, was given the last goodbye, from the afghan community in athens and friends.

Hamidulas father requests that the murder of Hamidula are punished , says that it could have been any child taking in his hands this clock-bomb.

The body of the young boy will be transported to Afghanistan on the expences of the greek goverment.The ministery of health has opened a bank account and the money will be used to make an ngo in the name of Hamidula for , like the father said:
children being afected from blind brutality.
also the operations of the 11 year old sister who got badly injured in the eyes and needs many operations to be able to see again, has to be paid.

the vice minister of inner afairs Vougias, was also present and promised the family the solidarity of the goverment.
there was even a possibility that the political asylum of the remaining familiy will be aceepted.
the church has anouced to give shelter and take over the acomodation and food for the family.

http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artId=4568972

all this news are from an artikel in the greek daily newspaper NEA.

sounds of course good when finnaly the greek authorities take over
a responsability for refugees.


my only big question is:

why do migrants have to die to be finnaly seen in greece and respected?

we wish that refugees alive are respected and can finnaly live in peace and freedom of moovement.

but as long as the european borders are closed and military protected
and as long as european goverments see refugees as a danger,
only dead refugees will have a chance for respect.

Mittwoch, 7. April 2010

Dienstag, 6. April 2010

Débat « Migrations » journee nationale du Forum Sociale de Belgique


Débat « Migrations » journee nationale du Forum Sociale de Belgique
SAMEDI 17 avril a 12h30
VUB
salle "Nelson Mandela" bâtiment Q, entrée 13

La journée national du FSB cherche a interpeller la présidence européenne qui sera tenue par la Belgique, on pense que il est nécessaire pour cadrer les enjeux européen des politiques migratoires, de parler, de celles qui servent a construire une « Europe Forteresse » avec des dispositives telles que ; l’agence de surveillance des frontières FRONTEX, la directive Européenne RETOUR (plus connus sur le noms de « directive de la Honte »), l’Externalisation des CAMPS (vers le Maroc, la Libye , etc.), le délit de solidarité, entre autres…

Au delà des réflexions politiques de fond il est nécessaire de proposer des alternatives d’engagements concrètes aux publics présents lors de ce débat, en particulier celle des acteurs de terrains et des groupes citoyens, pour en arriver, tant les personnes invites à prendre la parole que les informations diffusé (flayers, revue d’info, etc.) Aurons comme rôle de réveiller l’implication du publique a ces questions.


Prise de parole lors du débat
Modération du débat

Mathieu Bietlot, membre la commission socio/politique de Bruxelles Laïque et auteur du livre « Horizon fermé » Migrations, démocratie ou barbelés

Cadre juridique et politique

Souhail Chicha, chercheur en théorie du capital, chercheur en économie de la discrimination. Ecole du commerce de SOLVAY

Des acteurs de terrain

Sylvie Copyans, porte parole de l’association SALAM, elle viendra nous parler du travail au quotidien dans la « jungle » de Calais et sur les poursuites juridiques pour le « Délit de solidarité »

Porte parole du CSP59 de Lille. Collectif engage depuis plus de 20 ans dans les luttes en politiques migratoires et acteurs de terrain d’une grande valeur.

Amel Wasfy. Témoignage sur son emprisonnement au centre ferme 127bis de Steenockerzeel alors qu’elle étais en ceinte de 5 mois…


Oscar Flores, coordinateur de la CRER
pour le groupe « Migrations » du Forum Sociale Belge FSB
Infos ; 0474 0885 35




CRER / Tel : 0474 08 85 35
Soutien au N° Triodos : 523 - 0801898 - 74

Montag, 5. April 2010

Afghan refugees in Greece on the Patissia bomb explosion. από clandestinenglish 1 .4. 2010

1149943


From Pagani in Mitilini

in September 2009 to Athens and no further

Wednesday 31, at 8:00 pm circa 200 Afghan refugees made a silent and peaceful protest in front of the Greek Parliament in Syntagma Square, lighting candles and honouring the 15 year old Afghan refugee’s memory (traditionally) on the third night after his tragic death . This is a translation of the text calling to the protest. The original text has been posted at http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1149594. As athens indymedia users have reported this critical text was not reported by mass media and mass circulation newspapers.More on the case of the victims of the Patissia bomb explosion: http://libcom.org/news/boy-dies-athens-mystery-bomb-30032010, http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1149778.
Call for a peaceful and silent protest

We choose a silent protest, not because we are not hurt by the unjust and tragic loss of our innocent fellow Afghan, who perished just as bad as he might have perished in Afghanistan, if he had not fled the country with his family. If we choose a silent protest, its not beacuse we are not not angry with the state of refugees in Europe in general and especially in Greece. Its not as if we are not angry with the mediaval conditions at concentration camps of refugees and immigrants, which entrap our children and our families; its not as if we are not angry with the daily opppressive treatment in the street, in squares, in our homes, in government services for foreigners, for all of which our only crime is that we are refugees.

We choose a silent protest because we respect our fellow man who died, and we protest against the conditions he lived under with his family as refugees. We respect his family, especially his mother, a woman who experiences the shock of the tragic loss of her son and probably the loss of her daughter’s sight. And finally, we respect the Holy Week and Easter holiday period of our fellow citizens in the country that “hosts” us. All those that the corporate media and the government institutions did not observe by ridiculing all human dignity and by encroaching and violating fundamental human and refugee rights respectively.

Najafi family with the tragic loss of their 15 year-old son and the loss of her 11 year old daughter’s sight in the bomb explosion of March 28 in Patissia adds to the long list of victims of the Greek-European inhuman and repressive policy towards economic and political refugees . There is no doubt that the young Afghan refugee Chamintoulach killed in the bomb explosion at Patissia and his little sister who is in danger of losing her sight were subjected to these due to the lack of the asylum system in the country. And, we believe that there are political responsibilities, and we urge the Government to assume them to prevent such tragedies of innocent people of happening again.

We wonder, how comes that suddenly now all the ministries are show their “interest” for the family, offering gifts and promotions in false (?) promises? Or maybe the government is trying in this way to disguise their zero policy, which is implemented in the daily sweep operations, expulsions, hellish torture and detention of refugees and immigrants everywhere? We also wonder how comes that suddenly for all the media yesterday’s “illegal immigrants [lathrometanastes=clandestine immigrants]” are now “refugees”?

We are refugees of a war that has been exported against us and we demand all the rights we are entitled to in accordance with international treaties on refugees. Those rights are: asylum for all refugees, protection of our lives, shelter for families and for unaccompanied minors, medical care for all etc.

We also demand:

  • that the government stops playing the philanthroper and assumes its obligations towards refugees and immigrants.
  • that particualr media stop distrurbing the troubled and shocked family in the hospital and respect their situation.

March 31, 2010, Athens

Deported in a Frontex-Charter. A migrant story.

A migrant story.

PBBB was in the UK for more than one year detained. He spent around 6 months in prison and six months in detention centres in the UK, in Brook and Tinsgley House detention centres at Gatwick. PBBB was arrested when he was at Heathrow on his way to take a plane to be reunited with his family in Canada. His wife and his two children (one of them PBBB has not yet know) have been granted leave to remain in Canada until in the next 2/3 years their case will be review again.

PBBB had been shot on his legs several times. His business partner killed and his uncle shot and killed too. He was suffering terrible problems for one of this shots and one of his legs was painful and start having terrible physical problems because of this. PBBB stated that at no time, he was seen by a specialized the time he was detained. After losing his case, he had enough. He was saying that it was better for him to come back to Nigeria to a country where he could be shot rather than staying in a detention centre. He felt that G4S were treating him very badly and he kept saying that G4S and detention centres in the UK were breaching human rights in every corner of the detention centres he had been (see article in the Independent on the 04/02/2010). He signed the voluntary return papers and after long waiting, he got his removal flight reference for the 03/02/2010. Even when he was a voluntary return passenger, he was given removal directions with a Frontex Charter Flight that was going to deport back individuals who unlike PBBB did not want to be taken back to Nigeria. A Frontex Charter Flight that went from London, to Dublin and then apparently to Spain too.

This is the story of PBBB. He has kept in touch with friends in the UK and he agreed to write his part of the story of being in a Frontex Charter Flight.

A true story of a charter flight by PBBB

PEOPLE WERE DRAG LIKE A DEAD PERSON.
I had the shock of my life when we started our journey from Tinsely House to Airport. We were in the bus from 11am to 6pm without coming out from the bus. When we were in the bus, we could not move to the right or stand for that 7 hours because every detainees was escort with two security men. All the sit was too tide but those securities keep on having brake every 30 mins by exchanging themselves with other free securities, why we detainees were sitting like fish in the box. My legs were big and heavy like never before. Every hour was a struggle hour for us, as hour went when by. I was getting weak and weaker when my could not circulate any more. When happen to us on charter flight that we weren’t prepared for. Everywhere I looked, there was punishment without crime.

There were many sad women and many of children in their baby carriages. Children were crying bitterly because of how there are parents were treated. Many women with newborn baby, and many under ages were on this charter flight without their parents, sadness on their faces. We took off from other airport but not Gatwick airport. We landed in Dublin succefully. There, many joined our charter flight. The detainees in Dublin were brought into Airport with the prison vans and also with handcuffs on there hands. Many have been beating seriously before brought into the plane. Even in uk, one of under age was beating bitterly when the boy shouted his massage across to then by saying; I left Nigeria at age of 3yrs old and I did not have any relative in Nigeria anymore. Next security to him said; there’s no need to shout so calm down. Suddenly, the shout went up from the crowd when the beating was too much. I heard a shout; it was a loud crying, after the beating medical staff attended to the boy.

We took off from Dublin to Spain, there in Spain was the most worst part of it, where both female and male were round up with handcuffs on both legs and hands. The two securities beside me realize that my both legs were piping hot. The security man on my left hand asked me if I have problem with my legs and I told them that I had dead veins on both legs. Immediately, the security called the attention of medical staff. The medical staff said; actually is not suppose to be on this charter flight back to his country. The security man asked again that what could we do now. Medical staff reply; that I should be allowed to being working around or find a place for me to level my legs. Up till date, I could barely carry my legs. This has caused suffering and upset for me. Every time I remember how we detainees were treated on that charter flight, a haunting emptiness descends over my heart. My medical report was not giving to me, even when I asked them time without numbers before days to our charter flight. All hospitals that I had attended wanted to see my medical records, which I did not have. Right now I live with pains.We were frightened on the plane, I was frightened by large of number of people whom does not willing to go back to their counties. My experienced on that flight gave me panic attacks when some securities started beating whoever tries to un-struck their plans. Even, from the airport many people were abused and also at Spain many detainees were insulted, roughly words were spoke on detainees by there polices and also beating. When I was coming from toilet I saw many detainees, I mean those detainees that joined us in Spain with handcuffs. Tried to ask those police the reason why all these detainees were like this, those polices were trying to beating me when UK police stopped them because of my condition. There are many uncontrolled crying among the children because of the beating and shouting on the plane. All these unexpected attitude reminds me my last torture experienced. From UK many were shouting that they have court pending and others were saying they have wives and children here in UK. While many were saying what about my properties. To my surprised we did not land at any of normal Nigerian airport, the plane landed on one open field called NACO AIRPORT (Cargo Airport) and before we came out of the plane all our luggage’s has been putting on this open field without any security, while many people’s luggage has been missing.