Daily Racism
Racism happens every day in Germany. Not only neofacists act in racist ways but racism is deeply rooted in our society, in our politics, media and in the field of research and science. Discriminating terms which reduce humans to their economical applicability and cultural racism like the equation of islam to terrorism or honour killings contribute to a hostile social climate which has its peak in open violence like the recent neofacist murders (by the so-called NSU) or the incendiary attacks in Rostock-Lichtenhagen.
Governmental racism criminalises, excludes and kills
A huge amount of special-purpose laws degrades asylum seekers to humans of second class. They are restricted in their freedom of movement, they are forced to live in isolated camps (lager), they are not allowed to leave the places to which they were allocated (residential obligation / Residenzpflicht). People are not allowed to work and are interfered in their right for education, medical help and social security benefits etc.
Furthermore the constant threat of deportation and detention pending deportation harms their lives.
Basic right for asylum?
By changing the constitution 20 years ago the basic right for asylum was effectively abolished. A right for asylum remains only for people who did not apply for asylum in so-called safe third countries meaning other European countries. Because of Germany’s geographical position in Europe you can only enter Germany by plane and then apply for asylum there. Therefore Germany closes its borders for refugees instead of taking its responsibility for many causes of fleeing.
Fortress Europe
The assault on refugees already starts before they even enter Germany or Europe: Since 1993 the European Union leads a non-declared war against refugees and migrants. According to the UNHCR this war lead to the death of 16 000 people. In 2011 over 2000 boat refugees have lost their lives in the Mediterranean sea – citing only the official numbers. The EU agency FRONTEX controlls its borders in cooperation with military and police forces by installing gigantic fences, hightech surveillance, deportation prisons and continous operations. They refuse to rescue victims of wreckage and demonstrate that this “letting die“ is an official EU strategy to scare people away.
But the human right for freedom of movement can’t be taken away from anyone.
Benefits from racism for capitalism
Racism is indeed useful for the powerful people in politics and economy: In the case of foreign affairs racism serves geostrategical and military interests. Hostile and racist images create the impression of a permanent threat and thus the approval of the population to the German war politics is gained. Concerning domestic politics the racist ideology ensures the system and hides the roots of social injustice: Justified complaints of the population don’t grow to social protests against the class society but find their expression in the racist claiming of scapegoats. The splitting into “we“ and “the others“
legitimates the exploitation of migrants, the inducing of surveillance and racist controlls.
Racism affects everyone
It is evident that racism should belong to the ash heap of history since a long time.
But racism is constantly reproduced as discrimination of some people continues and privileges for others evolve in the same time. Stereotypes influence daily decisions: If some people don’t get a flat because of their supposed non-German name, others will profit from this discrimination. Consequently the fight against racism affects all of us and has to be lead on all levels.
Everyone can start to recognize and change his or her racist language, stereotypes and behavior.
Hamburg – Gate to the world?
The city of Hamburg is claimed to be a open-minded city (and gate to the world). The mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz, announced in his speech against the neo-Nazi march on the 2nd June 2012 the high level of tolerance that is practised in the city.
But it is his social democratic party which prolonged and even extended the ending treaty for the asylum seeker’ s lager in Horst although him and his party critised the conditions in the lager before as an opposition party. It is a secluded lager for arriving asylum seekers in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The people who have to live there have hardly any access to lawyers, hospitals or counselling centres. It is aimed to isolate them from the rest of the society.
The city of Hamburg also shows inhuman harshness in the way they treat Roma people which have been persecuted for hundreds of years and which have been killed systematically during the German facism. Roma families are deportated even during winter times to Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo where they have to face structural discrimination and racist violence. In 2011 and 2012 256 people (among them mainly Roma) were deported from Hamburg to Macedonia and Serbia. Over 400 Roma have been forced to agree to their so-called “voluntary departure“. Even those 13 Roma families from Hamburg who fought together for their residence in 2011/2012, for example through handing in petitions at the city’s government, were forced to leave Hamburg or were deported, remaining one exception.
Fight racism – solidarity with the refugee strike!
There are always people who show resistance against the racist normality and who fight for a better life. In the movement for the defense of the refugees’ rights people from different countries came together to protest against the inhuman conditions that dircectly affect them. The refugees fight for freedom, egality and equality. We explicitly support the claims of these protests!
-Stop all deportations!
-Abolish residential obligation (Residenzpflicht)!
-Abolish the obligation to live in camps, close all isolation camps (Lager)!
-Approve all asylum seekers as political refugees!
Nobody is able to split us! We fight together for a solidary society, free from any form of racism! We want to live in a world in which people and their needs are focused instead of profits and interests of power!
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