Death by Policy: These deaths are not isolated incidents

The on-going tragedy of people dying in search of protection is a shame to Europe's civil conscience. These deaths are not isolated incidents. They are the deadly result of the building of a 'Fortress Europe'. Europe's exclusion policy - a policy of border closing that makes it almost impossible to legally enter Europe, that lacks re-settlement programs and cannot guarantee refugees a safe transfer to other countries - has forced tens of thousands of people to resort to illegal ways of getting to a country where they are safe and where economical survival is possible.

European governments have tried to implement border control and militarisation policies. No matter how hard they try, they are incapable of effectively shutting Europe's doors. The more they try, and the stricter the laws they implement, the higher the number of deaths gets. By reinforcing their exclusionist policy, they are shutting their eyes to the realities of the global political and socio-economical situation. By ignoring the tragedies experienced in the countries where most of the refugees come from, Europe is actually missing the point of the whole refugee and asylum question. European policies are also missing the humanity of those fleeing those lands, and rather considering them in terms of a problem. Europe has responded to this alleged urgency by making legal immigration and asylum nearly impossible, thus leading to the death of refugees.

On the way to 'Fortress Europe', in detention or identification camps, during deportation, or once repatriated, many refugees and migrants die. No matter how different the circumstances of these deaths are, they can all be ultimately put down to one and only reason: the building of a 'Fortress Europe'.

The Campaing

Read more on the campaining against the fatal realities of 'Fortress Europe', a few facts on detention and deportation, violation of the Geneva Convention.
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The List - Exhibition

UNITED integrates its work on the death list developing a new project called The List Exhibition. The project consists of a poster collection of some representative cases compiled from UNITED List of deaths. These posters are composed with some of the articles UNITED collects in its archive. The purpose of this project is to raise awareness about the fact that the victims of Fortress Europe are not 'only' 8800 numbers on a list, but individuals with a background, a life and hopes.
:: The List - Pictures in the image gallery
:: See and download posters for the list exhibition

Exhibition in Vienna
You can see "The List - Exhibition" at the :: Infomaden (infoshop) in :: EKH, Wielandgasse 2-4
June 28 to July 1, 2007 (during the EKH "Haus- und Hoffest")
July and August every Thursday, 5-8pm
September and October Thursday-Saturday, 4-8pm

Sat, Oct 20, 2007 :: Finisage and Soliparty with guided tour threw the exhibition (5-8pm), movies and reading (8pm), after concert, DJ and more @ EKH, Wielandgasse 2-4, 1100 Wien

Source :: UNITED for Intercultural Action