Germany: The despot regime of province authorities

Foto: A Roma kid seats in fornt of the entrance to protest refugee Lager -
Break the silence in zella-mehlis action day 22.03.11

Action-Day Rally against the refugee Lager camp in Zella-Mehlis on 24.04. at 12.noon, Industriestraße 29

Violation of law and human dignity
An investigation on the actions of Landratsamt Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Thuringia

The despot regime of province authorities

Urlaubsschein : The permission [Urlaubsschein] to leave the Landkreis for a certain time is given out very rarely and selectively. Those who collaborate with the Lager staff and obey any authorities' decision, are in favour. Whereas refugees, who refuse to spy on their comrades and report to the employees, are excluded from any permission.

Firstly, the maximum time being granted to an appplicant for an Urlaubsschein is five days in three months. Secondly, this execution does not in the least correspond with other authorities' practices: The neighbour administration area [Landkreis] of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, which is Suhl, has a completely different and more liberal practice of permitting an Urlaubsschein. It seems that every Landratsamt is ruling its own kingdom and absolutley randomly treating refugees who face the "Jungle Law" .

Housing : The same logic is applied in the field of permitting indiviual housing: Many refugees would have the right to live in a separate flat because of sickness for example. None of them got it. On the other side, there is an inhabitant – friend with the Lager staff – who has his particular flat. All this despite the fact, that the caretaker [Hausmeister] himself confirmed to me the rule of average four single men sharing a flat while pushing me and my wife to share a flat with another woman.

Last year, one kitchen needed to be fixed. It took the workers in the
Lager three months to fix it - a work that could to be done in just a few days. All
refugees of that floor had to go to other floors for cooking throughout the three months.

Taschengeld : Talking about pocket money [Taschengeld], it's identical: Totally dependent on the refugee demanding it or the daily mood, it is given or not. No transparence at all within that Landratsamt.

Intenionally creating sufferance

Any time, a refugee expresses his anger about the conditions, the Lager employees answer the same famous sentence: "Refugees live from the taxes paid by German workers" and "refugees live better than many Germans." **

Gutschein : It is known, that Germany actually permits anyone passing the 4-years line (formerly three) of receiving voucher [Gutschein] to get cash money. In fact, this is disrespected here in the sphere of Landratsamt Meiningen, where anything is possible. There are refugees, that spend ten or twelve years getting only Gutschein. Only when receiving the residence permit, the Gutschein procedure stops.

In the past was another was applied: It was by chipcart,
In those times, the refugee got paid 31.70 every week, which means for times per month. In case, the money was not consumed within that week, it automatically disappeared from the card. The refugee only took note of this, when he ended up at the cash desk in the supermarket. Anytime there was a problem with the chipcard, the refugee had to go to Meiningen, which costs 11.40 by bus – despite that he actually doesn't have the right to get Taschengeld.

Until 2008, the Landratsamt only made shopping in the TOOM market and the CASA N=4 possible, where especially TOOM is more expensive than the other supermarkets.

Medical care : Refugees with health issues are dependent on the permission to go to a doctor instead of deciding this self-determined. Often enoguh, it is denied from the beginning. But in case, a doctor is seen and medicine needs to be bought, the refugees often are asked to cover the costs themselves. Even though, many don't even have the right to possess cash money.

This work been done by Miloud and Salah, a former resident of this lager
for 9 years.

The investigation is going on, more to come in the next reports.

Miloud L Cherif

The VOICE Refugee Forum - Coummunity in Zella-Mehlis

English:
Refugee Community in Zella-Mehlis demand for the right to live a free life in Germany
http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2039
We are Abused, Insulted, Our Privacy and Freedom are taking away from US
http://thevoiceforum.org/node?page=1

Gemeinsam gegen Isolation und Repression – der Solidaritäts- und Aktionstag vom 22.3.2011 in Zella-Mehlis > http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2052
Lager Zella-Mehlis schließen – Die rassistische Isolation der Flüchtlinge durchbrechen
http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2033
„Das Lager muss weg ! “ - Lautstarke Demonstration von Flüchtlingen und UnterstützerInnen in Meiningen am 24.3.2011 > http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2058