Liebe Freund_innen und Genoss_innen im Kampf gegen Abschiebung,
am 22.11.2011 (mindestens) findet in Köln wieder eine Sammelanhörung Nigeria statt:
Zentrale Ausländerbehörde, Blaubach 13, 50676 Köln
Bitte weiterverbreiten, Leute warnen & andere / neue Infos rumschicken!
Angehörige der nigerianischen Botschaft sollen gegen Geld die (angebliche) Identität nigerianischer Flüchtlinge bestätigen – eine Prozedur, die nur dazu dient, Reisedokumente für Abschiebungen auszustellen. Darum: Warnt alle nigerianischen Flüchtlinge, die ihr kennt und die (potentiell) betroffen sind, ratet allen Betroffenen, auf keinen Fall zu der Abschiebeanhörung zu erscheinen! Erfahrungen aus der Vergangenheit haben gezeigt: So können die Betroffenen zumindest Zeit gewinnen, sie können vorerst nicht abgeschoben werden und nach Lösungen für ihre Situation suchen! Sanktionen durch die Ausländerbehörden (Entzug von Taschengeld und Arbeitserlaubnis etc.) sind möglich, aber für die meisten Betroffenen ist das vermutlich das kleinere Übel im Vergleich zu einer baldigen Abschiebung! Auch zu beachten: Menschen, die krank und nicht reisefähig sind, darf es nicht zugemutet werden, nach Köln zur Abschiebe-Anhörung zu fahren!
Unten und im Anhang findet ihr einen Warnflyer mit Informationen für Menschen, die von der Abschiebeanhörung betroffen sind.
solidarische Grüße,
E. / Münchner Karawane Aktivist
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Dear friends and comrades fighting against deportation,
there will be a deportation hearing for Nigeria in Köln/Cologne on the 22nd of November (at least):
Zentrale Ausländerbehörde, Blaubach 13, 50676 Köln
Please spread the information, warn others & spread different / new information!
Representatives of the Nigerian embassy, who receive money from German authorities, are coming to Cologne to confirm the (alleged) identity of Nigerian refugees – this procedure is done for the only purpose of issuing traveling documents for deportation! So You should warn all Nigerians that You know and who are (potentially) concerned NOT TO SHOW UP FOR THE DEPORTATION „IDENTIFICATION“ HEARING! Previous experience has shown: By not attending the „identification hearing“, the people can at least buy themselves time, they can not be deported so quickly and they can search for solutions for their own case! Punishments by the authorities (withdrawing „pocket money“ or working permission etc.) are possible, but probably still better than soon getting deported! Also to consider: People who are seriously sick and not able to travel should not be forced by the authorities to travel to Cologne for the deportation „identification“ hearing!
Below and in the attachment, You can find a warning flyer with information for people concerned by the deportation „identification“ hearing.
in solidarity,
Ebs / Munich Caravan activist in exile in Vienna, Austria
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To all who are concerned of the deportation hearing with the Nigerian Embassy on 22nd of November 2011 in Cologne or any other Nigerian Embassy hearing: Don’t support Your own deportation!
Dear brothers and sisters, on Thuesday, 22nd of November 2011 (and maybe some more days before and after!) Nigerian Embassy officials will be coming to Cologne to identify Nigerian Asylum seekers for the purpose of issuing travel documents to deport them. The whole procedure takes place at “Zentrale Ausländerbehörde”, Blaubach 13, Cologne. Besides this, the Nigerian embassy does such deportation hearings again and again, each time in another city. Africans from all over Germany have been summoned to show up for such deportation hearings.
Warning:
The experience of the past has shown that many of those who attended an embassy hearing with the Nigerian embassy got deported soon afterwards! Attending an embassy hearing with the Nigerian embassy is only for your own deportation! Don’t support your own deportation! Don’t attend an embassy hearing unless a lawyer is with you! Police might pick people at their home addresses to bring them to a Nigerian embassy hearing by force! Be careful, don’t let them pick you!
First: You should NOT sign any document proving your identity or your country of origin unless a lawyer is with you! Such a paper can be used to issue travelling documents for deportation without any other evidences or documents.
What is the problem with an embassy hearing? What is happening there? It is clear that the only purpose of an embassy hearing 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 hearing. This is partly wrong because the authorities HAVE TO prolong the Duldung if they cannot deport somebody. During the embassy hearing, 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. Besides this, embassy officials can also arbitrarily “identify” someone to be Nigerian based on general appearance, the shape of his/her face, traditional scars etc.! It has also been reported that not only Nigerians, but also asylum seekers from Togo, Liberia, Uganda, Sudan, Sierra Leone etc. 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 bassy 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. The embassy officials make money by supporting the deportation of fellow Nigerians and other Africans! Which consequences might happen to you if you go to an embassy hearing?
Those attending an embassy hearing are being issued papers of identification and, soon afterwards, they receive a note of deportation. Not attending an embassy hearing can stop deportation! Many refugees who refused attending an embassy hearing 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 take part in an embassy hearing or for not talking with the embassy officials: It’s a matter of fact that if you refuse to attend an embassy hearing 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. The authorities don’t have the right to punish you if you can present a medical certificate proving that you are so seriously ill that you cannot participate in an embassy hearing! Concerning the question of penalties, we ask you to contact us and/or your lawyer!
Attention: Police can pick people at their places!! Police might try to arrest you at your place and bring you directly to the Nigerian embassy hearing by force, especially if you have already refused to take part in such an interview. This can happen to you even if you didn’t receive any official invitation for the embassy interview! At previous occasions, the police picked people to bring them to Nigerian embassy hearings from cities all over Germany. Be careful, don’t let them pick you, call your lawyer and/or contact us! Therefore, our advice is: Do not take part in an embassy hearing and don’t talk any word with Nigerian embassy officials unless a lawyer is with you! Be careful not to be picked by force! Get in touch with people and groups that support you! Get in touch with us to get to know more about embassy hearings, tell us about your experiences. Let’s come together and protest against deportation hearings!
Contact the Caravan for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants: e-mail: caravane-munich@zeromail.org (Munich Caravan group)/ thevoice_bdw@yahoo.de (The Voice Refugee Forum) websites: www.carava.net / www.thecaravan.org / www.thevoiceforum.org V.i.S.d.P.: Stephen Williams, c/o Karawane, Eine Welt Haus, Schwanthalerstr. 80, 80336 München