On June 8 and 9, 2023, an EU conference of interior ministers took place, focusing on the “reform” of the EU’s migration and asylum policy. As a result, the EU interior ministers agreed on an even more repressive sealing-off, which advances the undermining of the right of asylum. The following text summarizes the key regulations. The new regulations will have further brutal consequences for People on the Move. For example, arriving people (if not directly pushbacked) will be detained directly in camps, where a 12-week fast-track process will determine whether an asylum case is possible for the individual. If not, they will be deported directly. This is made possible, among other things, with the “fiction of non-entry”, which means that the camps are declared as “transit zones” and are thus not part of a national territory. Thus, no asylum application can be filed. This is to apply to all people from allegedly “safe third countries” or to all who come to the EU via such. Criteria for third countries will be massively lowered and even parts of a state will be sufficient. For a deportation also an arbitrary connection of rejected asylum applicants to the respective third country, which is defined by the EU member states, is sufficient. What is important is not the reason for entry, but the route by which the people came. Thus, in principle, all people can be detained, because preventing entry and deportation are the first priority. Pushbacks and prison camps, where there is not even basic care, will be further normalized. More agreements with dictatorial states are to be concluded for deportations. In a reform of the Schengen Border Code, internal border control is to be further tightened when People on the Move are politically “instrumentalized.” This is also defined by the EU member states. Thus, pushbacks are de facto allowed. With the reform of the EURODAC system, the surveillance of People on the Move will be expanded through data collection and storage. Should People on the Move get through all the repressions, they are still not allowed to decide for themselves where they want to travel. The Dublin Regulation remains in place. If EU countries do not want to take people in, they can buy their way out. The money is also supposed to go into arming the external borders. Potentially, then, no country will take in people, but will continue to invest in arming the borders and other repressive measures. Even though the new regulations still have to be discussed by the EU Parliament, it can be assumed that most of the changes will be implemented in this way. Once again, the capitalist, racist and deadly character of borders, of states and of the EU is revealed.

Our bank account has moved. We are now allowed to share the account of Rosa e.V.. IBAN: DE73500310001090103012 BIC: TRODDEF1XXX

At Radio Corax first interviews of people from directsupport with people on the move have been broadcasted in the last weeks.

Here are the links:

Voices from the border (part 1) – https://www.freie-radios.net/118613 (only members of freie radios)
Voices from the border (part 2) – https://www.freie-radios.net/118778 (only members of freie radios)
Bakhit – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-bakhit/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118621 (english)
Alexandre – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-alexandre/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118642 (english)
Abdi – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-abdi/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118666 (german, english, arabic)
Richard (part 1) – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-richard-teil-1/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118772
Allamin – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-allamin/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118790 (english)
Amine – https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-amine/ and at Freie Radios https://www.freie-radios.net/118833https://radiocorax.de/people-on-the-move-richard-teil-1/ (french)

Directsupport is in Ventimiglia since 05.09.! With the Infobus and Medibus we provide cell phone charging facilities, internet, coffee & tea and some snacks as well as medical care and hygiene products for people on the move.

Medical care, especially for open wounds, pain and sleeping disorders was requested very often. In addition, wi-fi and cell phone charging facilities were used a lot. We conducted interviews with people on the move, which we will publish here soon. We distributed many of the in-kind donations to local groups that support people on the move.

In Ventimiglia, there are two local support groups: Ventikappa and KeshaNiya, which we are able to relieve some of the pressure on through our presence and infrastructure. Ventikappa has opened a new info store “Upupa”, which has become a meeting point of support structures and people on the move. This is well visited by the people. Since a few days there are problems with the neighbors, so the store had to be closed. We have been provided with more charging stations by Ventikappa and are trying to meet the people’s need for charging.

We were also able to support the local political struggles:
On 06.09., a party location of the Lega Nord was opened. The right-wing populist party makes mood against people on the move and has received a large influx. Through a spontaneous demonstration, which was organized by people on the move and supporters, the image of the party “for the people” could be disturbed. The demonstration was observed by many passers-by and has repeatedly received support.
We also showed solidarity at a court hearing against activists who are threatened with imprisonment because of their work with and for people on the move.

The situation here is very precarious for many people and it needs international support from the political side. We can just make the everyday life of the people a little easier and relieve local groups. For this we are still dependent on donations, especially to buy medicine and hygiene products and to make repairs on the cars and the technical infrastructure.

Please donate to us:
Medinetz Halle / Saale e.V.
Iban: DE65 8005 3762 1894 0424 05
BIC : nolade21hal / Saalesparkasse
Purpose: konvoi

For a few days it’s beenpossible for the group to open the medical bus again. There is a constant need for medical treatment during the day while we are at the site. Many people have large open wounds all over their bodies. We can attribute the problem to an infection with scabies. According to people’s reports, the symptoms came after staying in camps in Serbia and Bulgaria. From their stories we conclude that there must have been large outbreaks there. Most of them have been infected in the last 2 weeks to 2 months.
The bad hygienic conditions of the European camps lead to big health problems of the people. European politics and economics are not only leading to the impoverishment of large parts of the world, but also to inhumane conditions on the territories of European nation states for people who decide to leave these areas. This must come to an end. We can only alleviate a few symptoms here, the root of the problem must go!
Freedom of movement and surviving for all people!

The last week we were already expecting it every day, today the time had come. Until an hour ago it was raining. We felt it directly that bad weather causes people to have more needs for warm drinks and more food. And the overall mood is more tense and conflicts more difficult to resolve.
One of the few easily accessible dry places here in the city is under a bridge at the edge of the river. At the same time, it is dangerous for people to sleep there because the water can rise quickly when it rains for a long time in the mountains.
For a few days now, more people have been staying at the place during the day, and the groups that regularly hand out food in the evening always distribute more than 100 portions.

Some groups of people on the move we have been meeting here for a long time. Moving on seems to be difficult at the moment.
On the one hand we are happy to be a bit more familiar with some people after the time we spent together here, on the other hand it makes us sad every day to see people again who we know would like to be somewhere else already.

At the moment we can offer food, drinks, wifi and electricity and a hair cutting station. Because our group is so small right now, the medical bus has to stay in camp most of the time. For medical needs we take the medical backpack to the site.

The last days we were too few people from the group to offer everything we have with us at the distribution place. A decision had to be made on which cars we would go with and who would do which tasks. We decided not to take the medical bus and only treat minor medical issues with the medical backpack and rather continue to offer food and hot drinks the recharging station and wifi.

I found it difficult to weigh this. Many people asked about the medical bus in the first two days and were disappointed not to find it. At the same time, much of what becomes medical problems is due to the poor conditions many people on the move have to live in while traveling. People catch colds because they lack clothing suitable for the weather and have to sleep on the streets. Sores develop and worsen due to poor access to spaces suitable for personal hygiene and a clean environment in which to sleep. The immune system is weakened by irregular availability of food and the constant stress of uncertainty of moving on. Many people tell us they have lost a lot of weight since being on the road.

Looking at this with my “medical eyes” I wonder how much I can improve with medical treatment. Or if more food and warm drinks will actually help people much more in staying healthy or getting healthy again.

Hope to see you soon – meeting a person again after a certain time – takes on its own meaning here at this intermediate place, new thoughts and feelings.

Many people are here on the square for several days. Through short encounters at the technical bus, through medical treatment, through longer conversations or simply because I have seen some people on several days at the square, some people have become somewhat familiar to me. Seeing them again the following day, however, is not associated with joy here.
To see them again means that people could not continue their way, they were prevented from continuing their journey by the police, often by force, or they could not walk further because of painful wounds.

If I do not see them again it means – hopefully – that the respective person has managed to take another step, to overcome another border and to reach the place of life they have chosen for themselves. Hopefully.

Hope to not see you soon.

From September 3 to September 30 we are going to Ventimiglia again to support people on the move and the existing activist groups there.

Thank you for your support!

Unfortunately, the trip has to be postponed a bit. We hope that it will only be a few weeks. If you have the time and capacity to join the group, please continue to contact us. We still need more people. More information will follow soon.