Dear Visitor,
we, the war refugees of the group „Lampedusa in Hamburg“, want to
give you the possibility to have a close look on our experiences
during our migration in the past three years with our exhibition .
We describe and analyse these experiences and the related
circumstances in three steps:
- The Situation in Libya – before and during the war and the way across the Mediterranean Sea
- The Situation in the refugee camps in Italy
- The Situation in Hamburg
We want to give you an understanding of the historical background and
the historical facts as well as the human rights abuses we were
confronted with on our way. Therefore we present texts of human
rights organizations and scientists as well as judicial texts and
newspaper articles in file folders. The installation includes a pad
on which you can watch films that show and analyse the background of
our experiences.
Our method of evaluation was similar to the method of the truth and
reconciliation commissions in South Africa and South American
Countries after civil wars.
Therefore we have been working together with the sociologist and
human rights lawyer Martin Dolzer. We have been sitting together and
talking about our experiences, losses and trauma and discussed and
analyzed societies frame conditions and the background of the war in
Libya as well as the background of the European refugee system. In
the frame of that collective process we worked out the texts,
statements, photos and films that are shown in the exhibition.
Our method is an attempt of Restorative Justice. That is an approach
to justice that focuses - in our case - on the needs of the victims
as well as the involved communities, instead of satisfying abstract
legal principles or just punishing the offender.
We as victims of the War in Libya and the mechanisms of the
European Refugee System take an active role in the process, and want
to encourage the offenders and the responsible politicians to take
responsibility for their actions and to repair the harm they've done.
Normally Restorative justice involves both the victims and the
offenders and focuses on their personal needs.
In our case the offenders and responsible politicians are not easy to
be included, because some live in Libya and are far beyond respecting
any principles of international or regional law and still abuse human
rights - and the others – the responsible politicians in Europe –
are not willing to come into dialogue with us until today.
We are conscious of the fact, that our exhibition of course can just
be a first step to work out facts, give you an insight in our
experiences and maybe impulse a process of reconciliation in long
terms.
We, the war refugees of the group „Lampedusa in Hamburg“, are
demanding – according to the basic human rights – a permanent
residence status as well as the right of free access to work,
education and health care in Germany. That demands can be fulfilled
straight. There a several regulations in regional, federal and
European law to do so,
yours sincerely
the refugees of the group
„Lampedusa in Hamburg“
The situation in Libya before war
We, the war refugees of the group „Hamburg in Lampedusa, had been
living in Libya before we came to Italy. We worked for example as
electric welders, as masons, as floor-tilers, as artisans, as
carpenters and in the construction of houses. Some started their own
business and employed other people, some were employees, others
worked as engineers or in academic professions. No one of us had the
aim to leave the country, because our life was stable and secure.
All of us had free access to medical care. Most of us were providing
their families or communities in their home countries – some were
as well living in Libya with their families. Many stayed in Libya
since the 1990 or the beginning of the new century. We originally
came from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d´ Ivoir, Sudan,
Senegal, Niger, Mali, Gambia, Burkina Faso and other Sub-Saharan
countries. In Libya our life was healthy and OK. We had our own
apartments and a regular income, as well as access to cultural life.
Some of us had been working for Italian or German companies for a
long time.
In Libya everyone could find work. Even if people had not enough
money the government ran special shops that provided those who were
in need with food and existential goods without payment. The shops
which offered it, were called Great Jammeriya.
The situation in Libya during war
Things were good until the 17th of February 2011, when the
war began. From that moment the tension was high and the country sank
into chaos. Life became dangerous, especially for black African
civilians. There where massacres because we, the black Africans,
where under general suspect of being supporters or mercenaries of
Muammar al Gaddafi.
When the UN declared the no fly zone, the situation even was
escalating. Whole parts of Tripoli and other cities where bombed. The
NATO in this case did not protect civilians – but in contrary
attacked whole districts were only civilians were living. Instead of
protecting – the NATO killed thousands of civilians in the
bombardments.
Statement
of a refugee
„In many cities rebels and militias were searching
houses and killing all black Africans. Massacres like market
shootings took place. Many of us were eyewitnesses. Some of us where
tortured during racist attacks or seriously wounded. Everyone was
afraid to be killed. Some of us were taken to the desert by the
„rebels“. They shot guns beside our heads, took away our
belongings and left us in the desert. Some of the people died because
they were not able to return to the city.
When war broke out things became dangerous and unbearable. Many of us
had been living in the war zone until June or July 2011. Five months
of killing, looting and inhumane conditions. We all were traumatized.
The only option to survive was to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Some
went on the boats on their own will – others where asked by
soldiers of Gaddafi to leave the country to protect their lives –
others where forced by soldiers or militias in too small boats.
Militias forced us to go to the boats. We could not see which „side“
they were fighting for. They took away our cell phones, cameras, and
photo or handy cards, our passport and all belongings, before we
could enter the boats. They obviously wanted to hinder us to carry
any pictures with us“.
When war started, the black Africans could not stay in the areas
where Arabian people lived – segregation, racist attacks and
killings became a usual practice. Rebels took away the passports and
identity cards. Many fled into villages or the desert to run away
from this practice – many of them died.
Statement of a refugee
Soldiers took
us to the harbor because the city was bombed. There was no other way
to survive war – especially for us black Africans, who were often
massacred by “rebels”. They took away all our belongings, before
we entered the boat. I lost everything I had worked for in my life.
The boat we were put in was much too small for so many people. The
captain complained that the boat would not be able to transport that
much people, but we were pushed in by force. We had no food and no
water. Later somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the
boat turned upside down. Many people died – I was rescued and could
survive.Statement of another refugee from Benghazi
„When we fled from Benghazi in the direction of Tripoli we were
stopped by militias very often. We had to walk the whole way. Car
drivers were afraid to transport black Africans, because many who did
so where killed in racist attacks. A lot of controls were carried out
by any kind of militias. In the „controls“ the militias asked
first if you supported the Government or the „rebels“ – if you
gave the wrong answer – they killed you – and it was not always
clearly to be seen who controlled you. It was necessary to use the
main road, because in the desert there would not have been any
orientation. On the street it was like walking on dead bodies. We
were running to save our life, but running to where? No place was
safe or free to pass. “
Statement of a refugee who had been working in Sirte
On the road we have been seeing soldiers moving to Benghazi to block
boarder. We were stuck in Sirte for three weeks. We were 300 men.
After 3 weeks we finally decided to walk towards the border and
demanded of the soldiers to bring us to the airport to be able to
leave the country. After long negotiations they brought cars, packed
all the men on the cargo area and brought us to Tripoli.
We stayed there for 14 days and more with a group of 3000 people
living in the camp. While after while people where removed from the
camp – but no one knew, where they brought them. Then they took me
as well. They brought us to the Mediterranean Sea.
They pushed us into too small boats. Who refused to go was shot.
Everyone had to surrender and was searched. All belongings had been
taken by the militias. Many boats had leaks and were drowning very
fast. Other boats were escorted by militias for a long time – and
they told us that they would kill us if we dared to return. The boats
were overcrowded – many people – some thousands died in the
Mediterranean Sea. Some died because of the situation in the boats –
there was no food, no water. Others died because the boats were
overcrowded or because the boats got lost without navigation. Many
had been collapsing during the journey“.
„When the bombing started, no one saw the planes, we only heard the
strikes coming – everything happened very fast. The bombs had been
dropped anywhere - men running not knowing how and where to escape
the blows. The first bomb by NATO was a huge bomb at the airport
Matiga. Bangashe, where the barracks of the soldiers were situated,
was beside of a civilian infrastructure. NATO bombed the civilian
area without any care – destroying everything. Many people were
waiting at the airport to return to their countries, but NATO bombed
the airport and killed many civilians. The bombardment lasted day and
night - no peace in between. All that began, when the UN decided to
establish the “no fly zone. Some militias occupied a Red Cross
plane and killed a lot of people with it.”The situation in the boats
„I was coming to Libya in 1999. In Libya meat was free, gas was
free, electricity was free, water was free. We only had to pay
housing rent. There was a great stability before war. I had a family,
a woman and children. I was running a business. But the war destroyed
all. The „rebels“ have taken everything. They attacked and
wounded the people. I was wounded terribly as well. Later in Italy
they rejected the necessary treatment for my wounds. I lost my wife
and children because we were forced in separated boats. I never have
seen them again.
Thousands of people died in the water, many women and children. Many
boats sank. It was old fishing boats. Less than half of the boats
sent out did not sink. After loading the boat, many boats where
overloaded and broke. We had no food, no water. Everything was
collected from the people before they entered the boat. We spent four
or five days on sea without food and water. Only those who had chance
survived“.
Statement of a refugee
„The people who had been dying in the boat were thrown overboard.
It was much too small for all the people. We spent two weeks on the
sea. We had no compass, no navigation. We were just drifting. We had
no captain, no steering, the people were relying on each other. There
was no orientation point.”
Another refugee says
„I ask myself why the authorities in Europe always ask us
the same questions. Where are you from? Why did you come here? When
did you come here? - Without asking for the background of our coming.
Many people treat us as if we were children, people without a
consciousness or not educated. But the African people of today went
through the same kind of education like Europeans. We can analyse the
societies we live in, our surrounding and what is going very well.There is no use to try to degrade us through not taking us and our demands for serious. We never wanted to come to Europe until NATO escalated the war in Libya. Libya obviously was attacked because the Libyan government supported other African countries and tried to unite the continent.
How can someone who has destroyed a well functioning country
with a social system, where we lived in dignity, not even respect our
will to work, and our demands for the basic human rights to have
access to education and accommodation and medical care.
That is somehow very inhuman and ignorant. European Union said they
wanted to protect the civilians, but they still fail to do even that
- and now, when we come to Europe to seek the protection they
promised, Europe closes the doors again.“
The Situation in the refugee camps and hotels in
Italy
We lived spread over diverse facilities in Italy for roundabout two
years – in mass camps with thousands of people as well as in dingy
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 and a lack of food, as well as oppression and ignorance
of the authorities.
In winter 2012/13 we were given identification papers witch
guaranteed a humanitarian, stateless or political status. At 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 in the Communities of
Italy. Some were threatened with violence or put into prison, if they
would not leave the country.
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 needs protection is endangered to be treated in a
humiliating and inhuman way.
Statement of a refugee:
“We, the war refugees of the group „Lampedusa in Hamburg“,
arrived in Lampedusa after crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Most of us
stayed only up to ten days in the Lampedusa camp or in front of it.
The camp was totally crowded.
The rooms in the camp were too small, food was not enough, medical
care was rare – if at all. Many had to sleep outside the camp in
tents or on the meadows. They gave me two pairs of trousers and one
pair of sandals, because all the refugees were forced to leave all
their belongings behind, when they entered the boats at the Libyan
coast.
There was no space, no shelter. In two years I did not get any
clothing or other necessary belongings. We had to eat pasta every day
– many times with nothing else. The 46 Euro given by the UN for
every refugee daily, never reached us. The authorities were not
coming to the camp, we had to go to a commission to give testimony
about our destiny without the possibility to contact a lawyer.
We were not allowed to use mobile phones. It took us 8 month to get
one. They were obviously afraid, that we could tell anybody about the
circumstances in the place. My condition was so bad. Sometimes I had
to apply two weeks to get toothpaste or shampoo. In the first time
they gave us water in bottles, later we had to drink polluted
tap-water. We were treated like that because we were refugees.
In Italy no organisation helped us. Later, in winter 2012 they
decided to close all the camps and hotels, because an EU Fond to
provide the refugees ended. All the time there were no measures of
integration. Finally we decided to make a demonstration in Roma
because of our situation. Later we decided to demonstrate in Milan as
well.
When the Italian authorities decided to close the hotel we did not
want to leave, because it was winter time and very cold. It was much
too cold and we had no perspective in Italy, because of the
economical crises and our status as refugees – which in fact meant,
that we were not given our rights. The police came to our hotel and
forced us out.
It was heavy snow, the Italian government gave us up to 400 Euro. But
a room costs 800 or 1000 caution before you can rent it. When I was
forced out I had to sleep in front of the train station and on the
streets.”
“The paper we received just gives us humanitarian protection with a
temporal permit – it is no working permit. There was no perspective
to survive in Italy – no work, no accommodation. They told some of
us to leave the country. For some they even bought tickets. Some of
us were told to leave the community, where we had lived – otherwise
they wanted to arrest us or take away our status. That is the motif
why we decided to leave Italy.
Sometimes they brought papers we had to sign without knowing what was
written in it, for not be kicked out of the camp. After Lampedusa we
never were provided with clothes again. There was a lot of arbitrary
treatment. Some of the camps and hotels where more like prisons”.
Statement of another refugee
“Some of us refugees even did not get a health card. In 2012 the UN
gave the Italian authorities money for the refugees for Christmas.
That money never reached us.
Italy could have used all the money of the UN to integrate us. That
is one of the reasons why the UN refused continuing the payment.
They gave us a lawyer but he did not speak English. This
lawyer and most of the other lawyers we refugees were offered
provided the interests of the state and the authorities instead of
ours. This is against the law and European regulations”.
Statement of another refugee
“In our camp we never have seen a lawyer. We were living near
Geneva. If you asked for lawyer they tried to push you out or called
the police to register your name. Everyone demanding anything was
endangered.
The camps and hotels, where we lived, used our stay for their own
economical profit. 3 days after we got a humanitarian status the
hotel manager said that we have to leave the place. Only those who
gave a signature that they would not come back were given some money.
When we left the camp we had to live in the streets. In Italy there
is a very racist atmosphere. Many of us had been attacked. When we
had to leave the camp we faced heavy snow without having anywhere to
go. There was no one to help, they were treating us like slaves.
Some of us had to go to a hospital, while we lived in the camps. Some
of the camp managers did not give us the prescribed medicine, but
other medicaments. Sometimes they just gave us half of the prescribed
amount. One refugee who had terrible kidney problems was kicked out
of the camp when he had terrible kidney problems.
When we were coming to our municipality, the social assistant we met
told us that the commune will save 6 Euro for each of us every day,
until we leave the camp. But later that man was fired. The new
assistant who was engaged after him - refused to give us the round
about 5000 Euro we were supposed to get when we had to leave.
In comparison to that the 500 Euro we got are cynical. They pretended
that they spend the money on medical care. That was a lie. I was
applying for a necessary plastic surgery, because of sores that I
received in Libya – but my demand was denied.
If we would not have left the hotel after we received our
humanitarian status they told us that the police would force us out
or arrest us”.
The Situation in Hamburg
After having been forced out of the Italian camps and communities we
went to Hamburg. Some of us had been participating in the so called
winter program others went to Hamburg, later in 2013. From April 2013
we were facing a very dangerous and perilous situation, because we
were forced to live on the streets. This year winter lasted long –
in April the temperature was low and after that we had to face a long
rain period.
We started to organize in the group „Lampedusa in Hamburg“ to be
able to achieve our rights. We built up an information tent near
Central Station and demonstrated in the town hall. We asked for a
dialogue with the mayor and Senators – but they rejected that until
today. We demonstrated in front of an election assembly of the
governing Party SPD and wrote open letters to the mayor and the
regional parliament to bring forward our demands. Many of us became
seriously sick because of the unbearable life conditions. 23 of us
should have been treated in hospital – which in fact was not
possible – more than 130 had to be supported by voluntary doctors.
From the beginning of that suffering period in April 2013 the
support for us refugees was organized by the people of Hamburg and
not by city authorities or big welfare organizations. Especially
young people and the “Karawane für Flüchtlinge und MigrantInnen”
cared for the most urgent needs: dependable food supplies,
accommodation in the coldest nights and the contact with those
willing to give meal and medical assistance. Since the beginning of
june St. Pauli Church and a Mosque in St Georg offer 80 (St. Pauli
Church) and 30 (Mosque St.Georg) of us an accommodation. In St. Pauli
many neighbours of the church support us and our aims. That is very
helpful and we are grateful to have this humanitarian help and at
least some of us a place to stay. But this cannot be a long term
solution and many of us still live on the streets.
The political parties “Die Grünen” und “DIE LINKE” put
forward a Moratorium to stop deportation for six month to create
space for negotiations. That Moratorium is supported by some thousand
people as well as by the church and the district parliament of
Altona. Delegates of the church were negotiating with the Senate for
a very long time – but without any positive result. Anyway it would
be more adequate if the Senate would negotiate with us, because it is
our destiny. All regional media and TV stations as well as German
wide media are reporting about our situation. Many people say, that
our struggle for the basic human rights has changed the discussion
about refugee policies in a positive way. But still the Senate is
blocking every acceptable solution.
We are victims of an European refugee policy, that is not in tune
with international and European human rights- and refugee
conventions. The Dublin 2 system forces the responsibility for
refugees on the poorest countries – Italy, Greece, Spain and
Portugal – who cannot carry that responsibility alone.
At this moment we stand on the threshold between life and death. As
war refugees we were given a humanitarian status by Italian
authorities, which allow us to live in the EU. But the Hamburg
Government until now wants to deport us to Italy as soon as possible.
In contradiction to law regulations the Senate of Hamburg says, that
there is no possibility to grant us permanent residence and a work
permit.
But to be pushed around through Europe is not an acceptable
perspective. We demand accommodation, free access to the labor
market, free access to education, free access to medical care and
social provision and the right to freely choose the residence within
the EU.
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.
Now our demand is that a permanent right of residence shall be
granted to us, according to international law and humanitarian
aspects. § 23 or any other regulation on regional, federal or
European level, that grants a special status to war refugees, can be
set into practise therefore.
Statement of a refugee
„As we were driven out of Italy we wanted to get a better life. But
in Hamburg we are confronted with the same situation again. The
authorities are permanently blocking our aims. We had – and many of
us still have – to live in the streets, with no place to shower, no
place to live or change clothes and no papers which help us to
survive or to find work. Now some of us at least have a place to
spend the night in St. Pauli Church. We are very grateful and the
Embassy of Hope really gives us a little bit of hope.
We thought that in Hamburg everyone including the authorities would
know much about human rights and respect them as well. But the
authorities are abusing us – they are just preaching human rights.
We had been living in the parks and the streets, so we formed our
protest.
On the streets I lost a lot of strength, I did not recover until
today. I still feel sickness in my body and the document I received
in Italy cannot take me to hospital. Some of the refugees coming from
Italy did not even have enough food for a long time and are still
living in poor life conditions. Some are still on the streets, some
are sleeping in old cars, others on corners, only a few got a place
to stay.
Statement of a refugee
„We do not know our future, our present and our past. It was the Europeans who caused the war in Libya as well – and now they are responsible for our situation. If the church would not help us, were would we be? We are tired of this, the government should do something - why do they treat Africans in that inhumane way in Europe. I cannot understand how people can be so heartless. What do people, who treat us like that, expect to happen, when they visit Africa“?
Statement of a refugee
„We are suffering a lot since we are in Germany. We even cannot
afford our daily life. Everyone is frustrated. I have nothing to do,
from morning to evening. This is causing serious damage. It is hard
to live in such undignified conditions. I have a humanitarian status
paper from one European country, but I cannot use it to manage a
survival here in Germany. In Libya I was working and living in
dignity. My situation here is degrading.
In St. Pauli Church, the pastor is doing his best, but only he alone
and our voluntary supporters cannot do it. We need support, but the
government is ignoring us – and we are asking the politicians to
help. 80 people live in one room. We share the place in solidarity –
but this situation is very bad. If someone has a disease it can
spread very fast. Even in prison living conditions like that are not
possible. We are happy that up to now no one killed himself. We have
nothing to do, and this is the worst aspect, that really can cause
damage – because we had a solid and social secured life before. We
could care for ourselves, our families and communities.
We need some support to have peace and a good life. They are helping
but we need a better
solution, to be able to work. Some people from
outside even critisize us. If the war in Libya had not been forced by
European governments as well, we would not be here. War was something
horrible. That is the reason why we are here. I hope someone in the
government will stand up to help us – we need somebody who is going
to talk and act in our favor“.
Statement
of a refugee
“After
the closure of the “Winter Notprogramm”, we where left to wonder
around in the streets Hamburg.We were exposed to the rain season and
the cold weather condition. Frustration stroke us and many are
seriously sick. All hope was lost. When we confronted the hamburg
authorities with our demands and our rights as war refugees, we were
rejected until now. As war refugees with negative experiences and a
phycological side effects, we should not be supposed to undergo
another threatening situation like that.
Since
months the European Union has been playing politics on us. They don't
look at us as human beings. I asked so many questions with no answers
– questions like – is it because we are all from black african
countries? Why racism? Where is love and the care that is supposed to
be shown to war refugees? Where are the human rights a refugee
deserves? What is the meaning of power? Is the true meaning of power
bombarding another country with a collective effort and when the time
comes to restore hope to the hopeless and to repair what has been
destroyed collectively, the responsibility is being pushed to
individual countries. Can the European Union tell us the true meaning
of protection a war refugees deserves?
Many
of us have been traumatized and got phycological side effects that
need an urgent medical attention. I hate to see a fighter jet plane
in my mind every day. Often I recalled, that I counted over sixty
bombs thrown down in one day by NATO fighter jets on 6 th of June,
2011in Tripoli, Libya. I still recall how I was luckily rescued from
a drowning boat. I Iost my friends and many people died - old and
young. Many times I still feel shocked with a painful vibration in my
body and a pain in my heart. In a nutshell we have been crossing
Mediterranean Sea. No government that respects human rights will ever
allow a refugee who survived situations like that, to face another
life threatening situation and suffering after escaping from a war
zone country. Our situation is very bad here in Hamburg. The
European Union should help us and answer our demands as war refugees.
We
want our life back and our rights as a human beings, to live in
dignity. We need an urgent attention to medical care, access to work,
accommodation, education and social provision.”
