Today in a press conference the Libyan refugee group "Hamburg in
Lampedusa" issued the demand for a political solution and the
recognition of their rights:
Open
letter to the regional Government of Hamburg and the Government
of the Federal
Republic of Germany
We, the war refugees
from Libya, demand:
The right of residence according
to § 23 „Right of Residence“ or another juridical regulation
that enables the
right of residence
§ 23 is one of those
juridical regulations that can be
brought into practise to enable a permanent right of residence
for war
refugees. Other juridical regulations on the level of regional,
federal or
European law as well allow a permanent right of resistance for
war refugees.
We invite the regional
government of Hamburg to start
activities to support this demand. In the name of human rights
as well as
humanitarian and political responsibility it is the only serious
way to find a
solution, if the regional government acts on all levels to bring
forward the
implementation of one of these regulations.
§ 23 Grant of the right of
residence by the superior regional authorities; admittance
according to
extraordinary political interests
(1) The superior regional
authorities may command the
right of residence to a special group of foreigners from a
certain country
according to international law or due to humanitarian aspects
under respect of
the political interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.
(...) To ensure an
equivalent regulation in all federal states this command needs
to be accepted
by the Interior Ministry.
(2) The Interior Ministry
is enabled to command the
authorities for Migration and Refugees to grant the right of
residence to a
special group of foreigners from a certain country in accordance
with the
superior authorities of the federal states, to protect political
interests of
the Federal Republic of Germany. (…) Those who are affected by
this regulation
got the right to achieve a residence permit or a settlement
permit. (...) The
residence permit is a work permit in the same time.
We
are more than 300 war refugees from Libya and have been living
on the streets
of Hamburg since the middle of April. Roundabout 55000 refugees
coming from
Libya survived the forced escape and finally arrived at the
island of Lampedusa
after crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
We
are all victims of a war that had been escalated by NATO to a
level that only
gave us the possibility to flee because of human rights abuses,
war crimes,
bombardments and massacres. Most of us are born in sub-Saharan
countries and
found shelter in Libya after we had been fleeing because of
political reasons
or the de stability in our home countries. In Libya we had work
that provided
ourselves, our families and communities in our home countries.
Information
about the situation in Libya
after the beginning of the war:
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/gewalt-in-libyen-gaddafis-schwarze-soeldner-alles-nur-propaganda-1.1138509
und http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/menschenrechtsbericht-amnesty-wirft-libyschen-milizen-toedliche-folter-vor-a-815634.html
und
We were not involved in
the political and military
conflict. We were part of those civilians, NATO and EU were
pretending to
protect through their intervention. We lost everything we had
built up in Libya
and all our savings. We have seen many people dying in the war
and on the way
across the Mediterranean Sea.
We lived spread over
diverse facilities in Italy for
roundabout two years – in mass camps with thousands of people as
well as in
hotels which had been rent by the authorities or on the streets.
Our living
conditions were extremely dangerous for health and life.
Sickness and traumata
could not be treated in an adequate way. New traumata were
caused through abuse
and mistreatment, denied medical care, a lack of food, as well
as oppression
and ignorance of the authorities.
In winter 2012/13 we were
given identification papers
witch guaranteed us a humanitarian status. In the same time we
were set on the
street and prompted and forced to leave Italy in the direction
of northern
Europe. The authorities gave some of us up to 500 Euro. We were
told that
nothing could be done for us, because there was no work or
perspective of
providing us. Some were threatened with violence or to be put
into prison, if
they would not leave the country.
Under the administration
of the Italian authorities our situation was degrading. After
the closure of
the camps and the ending of the accommodation nothing was left
for us only to
die slowly or quickly in the streets.
The situation and the
devastating circumstances in
which refugees lived in Italy is described in an expertise by
the German NGO
borderline e.V., written by Judith Gleitze in order of the
administration court
Braunschweig. Since 2010 200 German administration courts
decided that
deportations to Italy are against the law because every asylum
seeker or person
that is in need of protection is endangered to be treated in a
humiliating and
inhuman way.
http://www.borderline-europe.de/sites/default/files/readingtips/2012_12_02_Gutachten_Antworten_finale_anonym.pdf
This is the reason why we
came to Hamburg. After the
so called winter program we are facing a dangerous and perilous
situation
again, because we are forced to live on the streets.
We started to organize in
the group „Lampedusa in
Hamburg“, to be able to achieve our rights. We are victims of a
war in which
several European states were involved. We are victims of an
European refugee
policy, that is not in tune with international and European
human rights- and
refugee conventions.
All EU member states must
take responsibility for the
roundabout 55000 civilians that had been escaping from Libya to
Europe during
the war. Italy gave a signal to show its state of emergency with
its practise
against us refugees. We are not willing to be the cue ball of an
inhuman
policy.
We, those who survived the
war, and formed the group
„Lampedusa in Hamburg“, are not willing to let people push us
from one disaster
into another, because this is no perspective for a living. Since
we went into
public in May 2013, we witnessed a great wave of solidarity.
Many people and
actors support our demands.
A permanent right of
residence shall be granted to us,
according to international law and humanitarian aspects. § 23or
any other
regulation on regional, federal or European level, that grants a
special status
to war refugees, can be set into practise therefore. We address
the Government
of Hamburg once again with this concrete appeal to enable it to
preserve the
human rights and to follow its duty to protect democratic
values.
„Lampedusa in Hamburg“
Represented by:
Affo
Tchassei: 0176-717 402 36
Anane
Kofi Mark: 0152-170 045 94
Asuquo Udo: 0152 146 725
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