The Revolt on Lampedusa

Completely Militarized

On Lampedusa the escalation was already clear in January. Rome had decided that refugees reaching the island, in spite of the Frontex and the North African border patrols, would no longer be brought to the Italian mainland, but be jailed on the island and deported directly from there. In just a few weeks, the island's refugee camp, built to hold up to 850 people, overflowed with nearly 2,000 migrants. Even the islands foodstuffs for its population of 6,000 - not counting the migrants - became scarce. At the end of January about 800 migrants escaped from the detention camp, as a form of protest demonstration. A general strike of the island's inhabitants, as well as, the first hunger strikes joined the protests. The inhabitants complained that the island, where nearly 100 police and soldiers were already in operation, was "completely militarized" through the measures to isolate the camp. The mayor called it an "Alcatraz in the Mediterranean".[1]

Out of Control

Planned mass deportations have allowed the situation to get completely out of control. Rome has reached a new deportation agreement with the Tunisian government allowing up to 500 people from Lampedusa to be deported to Tunisia. The agreement is in complete accord with Berlin's policy of having incoming migrants stopped at the external borders of the EU and, if possible, deported directly from there. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[2]) As the Italian police, a few days ago, began to round up the first - about 100 - migrants to be deported,[3] the inmates of the camp revolted. 300 inmates went on hunger strike, they rioted and a sector of the camp was set afire. Around forty people were injured. According to press reports, up to 500 migrants are being held indefinitely, under catastrophic conditions, on the grounds of this partially destroyed camp.

Wildfire

The rebellion is spreading to the Italian mainland. Over the past few weeks, several Italian migrant detention camps have rebelled. There were protests on Thursday (19.02.2009) in various cities, including Milan, where the detention facility also caught fire. There is talk of a hunger strike, in Turin, where 20 migrants from Lampedusa had been transferred. On Malta also, the revolt from Lampedusa has sparked new protests. On this island riots had already broken out at the end of January. At the beginning of February several migrants broke out of the detention camp, but were recaptured by police and military using helicopters. Tear gas was used to break up clashes.[4] The media reported that there were renewed rebellions and fires in two of the camps. The situation is described as chaotic.

Deportation Custody

Protests against the German/European detention and deportation policy are taking place also - with varying intensity - in camps and detention facilities in the core states of the EU. Last June, following months of actions venting dissatisfaction over the conditions, migrants revolted in France's largest deportation prison in Vincennes. The camp was burned to the ground.[5] In Germany the repressive authorities have so far been successful in prohibiting open revolts in deportation jails. A survey, taken last December by the German government, shows under what enormous pressure the deportation inmates are. According to this survey, in the period from 2005 - 2007, there were more than 40 suicides or suicide attempts in German deportation prisons due to fear of deportation.[6]

Shut Off

Jacques Barrot, the EU's Commissioner in charge of interior policy, has proposed minimal measures to humanize the European migrant policy including the living conditions endured by the undesired migrants in Europe. Particularly in Germany, this has regularly provoked persistent protests,[7] even though they do not escalate to the extent of those in Southern Europe. The migrants from an isolated camp in Gehlberg (in Thuringia) complain of not receiving money, only coupons, having insufficient access to medical assistance and, due to the miserable public transportation service, being practically shut off from social contact. Some have had to live in Gehlberg for more than ten years. Many are now suffering psychological disorders. Their protests have been persisting since June 2008.[8]

Inhumane

EU Interior Commissioner Barrot is proposing that minimum standards be introduced for migrants demanding asylum. The budget for them should not be lower than that of social security of the native-born needy, which, in the European centers of affluence, is considered to be a minimum decent living standard. Barrot also proposes that individual countries' asylum procedures - for example in Germany - be raised to EU standards to raise the ridiculously low admissions quota. The urgency of these propositions can be seen in the current migrant protests and their causes. But Berlin is stonewalling Barrot. The German minister of the interior and the interior ministers of several German federal states announced that they are not allowing the EU Commissioner's proposals to be successful,[9] thereby hindering the humanization of the European asylum policy.

[1] Das neue Gefängnis Europas?; tagesschau.de 27.01.2009
[2] see also One/Ten, Interview mit Karl Kopp and Land Without Refugees
[3] 40 Verletzte auf Lampedusa; tagesschau.de 18.02.2009
[4] Ausbruch aus Flüchtlingslager auf Malta; no-racism.net 06.02.2009
[5] Revolte im Abschiebegefängis von Vincennes; no-racism.net 27.06.2008
[6] Deutscher Bundestag, Drucksache 16/11384, 17.12.2008
[7] see also Nicht verwertbar and Nicht verwertbar (II)
[8] Solidarität mit dem Flüchtlingswiderstand in Gehlberg; thevoiceforum.org 26.01.2009
[9] Flüchtlingsströme: EU will ihre Asylpolitik neu ordnen; Frankfurter Rundschau 18.02.2009. Berlin stemmt sich gegen Asylpolitik der EU; Die Welt 19.02.2009