Demonstration against deportation and deportation prisons

Meet in Hannover - Demonstration on 7th of December 2002

Hannover, 07.12.2002

Since May 2000, Niedersachsen's regional government has been running a central deportation camp in Hannover/Langenhangen. It was especially designed for the containment and control of those non-Germans who are to be deported. Three buildings on former military premises were adopted to keep up to 143 men and 42 women - under exceptional circumstances up to 245 people - under arrest. This prison is equipped with electronically safeguarded fences, barbed wire, CCTV, alarm systems and security gates and does thus in no way differ from any other clink.

The authorities are not interested in the future of the deportees; neither whether they have to expect torture, prison, or death nor whether they are deported to a crisis area.

This practice lead to the death of the 17 year old Tamil refugee Arumugasamy Subramaniam, who hung himself in the deportation prison of Langenhagen on the 8th of December 2000. He was destined to be deported to Sri Lanka three days later. He is only one those more than 40 women and men who, according to ProAsyl, killed themselves in German deportation prisons since 1993 - not to mention hundreds of attempted suicides.

On the occasion of the anniversary of Arumugasamy Subramaniam's death, we want to demonstrate against deportations, deportation prisons and the so-called "Ausreisezentren" and to show our solidarity with those under detention.

Deportations are part of a larger system

The new laws on immigration and the laws on "interior security" have further enhanced measures leading to criminalization, deterrence, and exclusion of migrants. Mechanisms of control such as the recording of biometrical data - on the pretext of the "war against terrorism" - complement the restriction of spatial mobility ("Residenzpflicht") and arbitrary control of personal documents ("verdachtsunabhängige Personenkontrollen"). Thus, migrants become a permanently available asset in any political or economical situation.

This development is underlined by the further mutilated right of asylum: With the implementation of the new laws on migration, already approved applications for asylum will be scrutinized every three years. If the authorities decide that the reasons for the granting of asylum no longer prevail, the recognition as asylum seeker will be withdrawn. Only if the newly designed Federal Authority for Migration and Refugees declares that the recognition should not be withdrawn a permanent residence permit can be granted. If the asylum seeker maintains that s/he must be given asylum because of political activity in Germany - "selbstgeschaffene Nachfluchtgründe" - s/he will be turned down according to the new laws.

The precarious legal residential status of "toleration" will be further tightened up.

Those under the threat of unannounced deportation can be sent to deportation camps - called "Ausreisezentren". Here, the refugees are forced to cooperate with the authorities in order to produce valid documents for their departure. The suppressive conditions of life in these camps and the absolute prohibition of labour force many refugees into life in illegality. The "Ausreisezentren" merely are one step towards deportation, which in the future will require even less juridical effort: those who are not needed in Germany or who threaten "public order and security" will easily be kicked out.

Deportation custody is in indispensable part of the system of deportation: In 1999 Niedersachsen deported 2604 women and men, 1425 of which were directly deported from deportation prisons. Without committing a criminal offence, migrants can be held under arrest for up to 18 months.

Deportation camps are the end of the road of the state's racist policy against refugees and migrants. They make sure that people fleeing their country of origin because of need and fear can be sent back into misery, torture and death against their will.

No deportation prisons!

No deportations!

No special laws - same rights for everyone!

No one is illegal!

Right to live wherever we want!

Saturday 7th of December 2002

11.00 Hannover Steintor - 13.00 S-Bahn Hannover-Airport

Kooperative Flüchtlingssolidarität Hannover