Stop deportation hearing with Nigerian Embassy in Munich!

17th – 19th of June: Stop the deportation hearing with the Nigerian Embassy in Munich!

Protest action in front of the refugee camp at Tischlerstraße 30:
17th – 19th of June, each day from 8 am till 3 pm

Public transport connection:
Metro line U3, metro station Fürstenried West
Bus 166, bus stop Tischlerstraße

>>From 17th to 19th of June 2008, Nigerian Embassy officials will be coming to Munich again on the invitation of the Southern Bavaria Central Deportation Agency (Zentrale Rückführungsstelle Süd) to identify Nigerian Asylum seekers
for the purpose of issuing travel documents to deport them. Nigerians from different cities have been summoned to show up for this embassy deportation hearing, taking place inside a refugee camp at Tischlerstraße 30.

In order to facilitate the quick deportation of Nigerian refugees living in Germany, the German authorities are conniving with Nigerian embassy officials by bringing these officials all the way from Berlin to different places all over Germany, where Nigerians are forced to attend so-called identification hearings with these officials for the purpose of issuing travel documents for their deportation, against their will. The invited refugees are not informed about the purpose of these invitations and are even forced through various repressive means, including imprisonment. The aim of the German authorities is clear: Accelerating massive deportation of Nigerian citizens! And not only of Nigerian citizens: Even people from other African countries, like Liberia, Togo or Sudan, are forced to attend these hearings, with the aim to deport them to Nigeria as well.

For every refugee that is issued a travel document thereby paving the way for his eventual forceful deportation, the embassy is paid a certain sum of money by the German authorities, 250 Euro for every interview and 250 Euro more for every travel document! This means a total of 500 Euros for every refugee that is invited and finally issued a travel document. So, the embassy officials receive money to facilitate the denial of fundamental human rights by a foreign country to Nigerian and other African citizens living in this foreign country.

The practice of embassy identification hearings with the Nigerian embassy has come to an extent that they are taking place every month, each time in another region and another city of Germany. The Nigerian embassy officials were in Munich in August 2007, in January 2008 they were in Halberstadt, in February they were in Dortmund in March they were in Ludwigsburg and in April they were in Leipzig. The Nigerian embassy has now become a central agency for the deportation of African migrants and refugees!

But experience with previous embassy deportation hearings has also shown: Many refugees have successfully stopped their own deportation by refusing to attend these hearings. Boycott and protest actions against deportation hearings can be an efficient strategy to stop deportations!

Therefore, the Munich group of the Caravan for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants calls for massive protest and pressure against the Nigerian embassy to stop them from carrying out their shameful deportation business.

Stop embassy deportation hearings!
Stop the corrupt business with traveling certificates for deportations!
Stop deportations to Nigeria, stop all deportations!

Boycott-Information:

To all who got an invitation to the embassy interview with the Nigerian Embassy from 17th till 19th of June in Munich / Tischlerstraße refugee camp:

Dear brothers and sisters,
>>From 17th to 19th of June 2008, Nigerian Embassy officials will be coming to Munich to identify Nigerian Asylum seekers for the purpose of issuing travel documents to deport them. Nigerians from different cities have been summoned to show up for this embassy deportation interview, taking place inside a refugee camp at Tischlerstraße 30.

Warning: Attending the embassy interview with the Nigerian embassy is only for your own deportation! Boycott the embassy interview, don't support your own deportation!!
Don’t talk any word with Nigerian embassy officials unless a lawyer is with you!!

First: You should NOT sign any document proving your identity or your country of origin! Such a paper can be used to issue travelling documents for deportation without any other evidences or documents.

What is the problem with the embassy interview? What is happening there?
It is clear that the only purpose of an embassy interview is issuing travelling documents for deportation! Usually, authorities send out letters through which people are asked to come to an embassy hearing for reasons that are not clearly specified. Sometimes, the authorities threaten to revoke the "Duldung" if the refugees don’t attend the embassy interview. This is partly wrong because the authorities HAVE TO prolong the Duldung, if they cannot deport a person.
During the embassy interview, refugees will be questioned by Nigerian embassy officials in order to confirm their Nigerian origin based on their language, their accents or specific words they use. It has also been reported that not only Nigerians, but also asylum seekers from Togo, Liberia or Sudan have been invited to embassy hearings with the Nigerian embassy to deport them to Nigeria as well. It has to be clear: Don’t trust the Nigerian embassy officials, even if they offer to help you! You should also know that the embassy officials receive 500 Euro from the German authorities for every refugee that is invited and finally issued a travel document. That means, they make money by supporting the deportation of fellow Nigerians and other Africans!

Which consequences might happen to you if you go to an embassy interview?
Those attending an embassy interview are being issued papers of identification and, shortly afterwards, they receive a note of deportation.

Why it makes sense to boycott an embassy interview :
Many refugees who refused attending an embassy interview were able to stop their own deportation successfully and to win time to find alternative solutions for their own situation!

Possibility of penalties for refusing to to take part in an embassy interview or if you don’t talk with the embassy officials:
It’s a matter of fact that if you refuse to attend an embassy interview and/or to talk with the embassy officials, you can get penalties such as cuts of your social welfare money. The authorities could also take away your working permission or you could get a restriction of your "Residenzpflicht".

However, many people still don’t receive any penalty and often, these penalties are given only for a limited period of time. There are also possibilities to avoid troubles for not going to an embassy hearing, e.g. if you can present a medical certificate that proves that you are suffering from an illness which is so severe that you cannot participate in an interview.

Concerning the question of penalties, we ask you to contact us and/or your lawyer!

Also important to know: If you have already refused to take part in a hearing, police might try to arrest you at your place and might try to bring you directly to the hearing. Be careful, call your lawyer and/or contact us!

Therefore, our advice is: Do not to take part in an embassy interviews and refuse any cooperation. Boycott embassy interviews and try to get in touch with people and groups that support you! Don’t talk any word with Nigerian embassy officials unless a lawyer is with you!

Get in touch with us to get to know more about embassy interviews, tell us about your experiences. Let’s come together and protest against embassy deportation interviews!

Contact us:
Caravan for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants, c/o Eine Welt Haus,
Schwanthalerstraße 80, 80336 München
e-mail: caravane-munich@zeromail.org
website: www.carava.net
meeting: every Thursday, 8.30 pm, at Eine Welt Haus, Schwanthalerstraße 80,
Munich (near metro station U4/U5 Schwanthaler Höhe)

V.i.S.d.P.: Chimanda Adichie, c/o Karawane, Eine Welt Haus, Schwanthalerstr. 80,
80336 München