Boats4People will start in July 2012

21.Dec.11 - In summer 2011 the list of boat people drowning or dying of thirst was getting longer. The situation is and remains unbearable. Thus, anti-racist networks demand immediate action to arrest the deathly EU border regime. For several months now a transnational project 'Ships of solidarity - stop the death in the Mediterranean Sea' is being developed to support refugees and migrants by intervention on site on their way to Europe. Latest in July 2012, several small ships will set sail in Italy in the opposite direction to the escape routes of the boat people: most likely from Rome via Sicily and Lampedusa to different ports in Tunisia. The project is scheduled at the same time as the Maghrebian Social Forum in Tunesia, which will take place probably in the city of Monastir in July 2012. The aim is a Mediterranean network to implement a permanent monitoring between the North-African coast and the South-European islands. The scandalous incidents at sea are to be documented and publicly incriminated. Subject are the rights of the Harragas and the migrants in transit. Everything possible is to be done to save castaways. [read more]

freedom not frontex

09.Mar.11 -  the impressive movements of revolt in the Arab world and the downfall of the dictators in North Africa produced a problem for the externalised EU border regime: they now lack their watchdogs. The question of an increased repressive migration control through the European border agency Frontex has been discussed in politics and media for the last days. In this vein, we believe it urgent to press for the demand of freedom of movement, made by refugees and migrants, and position ourselves against the dying and suffering at the external borders.

Against this backdrop the three anti-racist networks afrique-europe-interact, welcome to europe and network of critical migration and border regime research have published a joint statement titled "freedom not frontex".  [read more]

Out now: Crossing Borders #9: Exit is voice!

17.Jan.11 - Again we take the opportunity of a World Social Forum (WSF) in Africa to publish a new issue of Crossing Borders. We are even more convinced to do so as an ambitious project will take place in the weeks before. Demanding "freedom of movement and fair development" a bus caravan with about 200 activists from Africa and Europe start a common protest tour in Bamako in Mali, arriving in Dakar in Senegal for the beginning of the WSF (see page 2). Its not by coincident that you find a longer quotation of our 2nd issue in the opening text on migration and development - "on exit and voice".
Exactly three years ago and with reference to the World Social Forum in Nairobi in January 2007 we published an open letter "to our sisters and brothers in Africa" on our frontpage. We still keep it as an important and valid document, signed by (not only) African migrants in Europe in order to to communicate their transnational approach and experiences to bridge and interconnect the struggles. Migrant struggles and solidarity campaigns are the main topics on the other pages too: the chain of actions 2010, mainly directed against Frontex (page 3); the europeanwide campaign against Dublin II, the project of a transeuropean webguide and the ongoing resistance in Italy (page 4). [download the newsletter here] []

from Bamako fo Dakar: caravan-tour for freedom of movement and fair development

25.Dec.10 - From February 6th to 11th, 2011 the 11th World Social Forum will take place in Dakar, the Senegalese capital. This is why from mid-January bus and car caravans will start their journey to Dakar from several places in Africa.
One of those caravans is the WSF Citizens Caravan for Freedom of Movement and Equitable Development, which will begin in Bamako. It expects 200 to 400 participants mainly from African (especially West African) countries. There will be several actions, for example against the EUs border protection agency Frontex and illegal deportations from Mauretania to Mali, which are sponsored by the EU. There will also be political assemblies with the local population at the caravans stopping points. They will refer to the reasons for flight and migration as well as the situation of refugees and migrants, be it in transit countries or in the EU.  [read more]

all previous items are available via the news archive