Admission Free
The asylum- and immigration-policies in the different member-states of the European Union are more and more decided upon in obscure committees of civil servants and less in the national parliaments.The last few years have seen an increasingly quick harmonisation of the asylum policies in these countries. This harmonisation leads, among others, to detention of refugees and illegals and more internal control. In different countries in Europe there is resistance against these repressive policies. During the Euro Summit in Amsterdam 1997 a meeting has taken place of European grassroots groups who resist the asylum- and immigration-policies. Combined they started a European network. Goal of this network is to improve mutual cooperation and communication. By diminishing the distance between groups they want to contribute to evading and undermining Fortress Europe.
It is clear that the outer borders of the EU are physically and technically armed permanently. Besides, the West European governments try by means of political and financial pressure, to involve the East European neighbour-countries into their migration policy and to push the closure further. The ways of entry are getting more and more dangerous, expensive and also longer. The next few years the emphasis within the policy in relation to immigration will be even more on border controls, a stronger control on immigrants within the European Union, tracing of illegals and expulsion of illegal workers and refused refugees.
PRINCIPLES
The with the network affiliated groups are non-parliamentary, and work as grassroots groups against a restrictive immigration- and foreignerspolicy. Their work is oriented at giving assistance to illegals and refugees, they do research and/or organise actions among other things on the themes admittance, exclusion, detention and deportation. The network is also there for groups that work on issues such as registration, control and exclusion of minorities in general which in a broader sense are connected with the immigrationpolicy. They recognize that the immigrationpolicy is connected with structurally unequal relations on a global scale and with institutionalised racism in Europe. The network wants to be open, besides for groups that aim at the government and its policies, also for groups that are directed at the responsibility of those executing the policies (aviation companies, private prison companies) and the consumers. Participating groups must not only have lobby-function or -practice: their activies must shift borders.Themes that deserve joint attention by the network are:
1. Detention of refugees/illegals
2. Illegalising and exclusion of immigrants and connected to that the control- and repression-apparatus at
the outer borders and within Europe 3. Development of policy on a European level
4. Discussions (e.g. on perspectives)
The network in principal does not aim at mutual actions or campaigns. With regard to bringing other groups in the network, migrant and women selforganisations will get specific attention. The official language in the network will be English.
Participating groups
Germany:* ueber die grenze - munich
grenze@ibu.de
* ag fuer freies fluten - hanau - AG3F@OLN.comlink.apc.org
* glasmoorgruppe - hamburg - offlimits@mail.nadir.org
* aktion zuflucht - freiburg - c.moeller@3landbox.comlink.apc.org
* forschungsgesellschaft flucht und migration - berlin
ffm@ipn-b.comlink.apc.org
Switzerland
* anti-rassismus cafe / refugium - zurich
savanne@savanne.ch
Denmark
Asylgruppen - Norre Alle 7, 2200 Copenhagen N
Flygtninge Under Jorden - elmabp@ft.dk
Norway
* regnbuen antirasistisk organisjon - tromso
tvik@stud.isv.uit.no
Sweden
* landerkommitten for f.d. jugoslavien - boras
infokontor@landerkommitten.p.se
* fortress europe - falun - nbusch@falun.mail.telia.com
Belgium
* Autonome Vluchtelingensteungroep
bartdall@agoranet.be
* Comité tegen uitwijzingen/Aktiegroep recht op vluchten - tegenstroom@club.innet.be
United Kingdom
* autonomous refugee centre hackney - london - rzdurand@gn.apc.org
* campaign against racism and fascism - london
info@carf.demon.co.uk
France
* reflex - paris - reflex@ecn.org
The Netherlands
* autonoom centrum - amsterdam
ac@xs4all.nl
