A franco- britannique deportation "charter" is scheduled for October 6, 2009 flying to Kabul. Protests at Lille-Lesquin airport.
While the humanitarian situation and security continue to deteriorate in Afghanistan, that there has more civilian casualties than ever, and NGOs such as the Secretary General of UN expressed particular concern about the situation, France and Great Britain are trying, as they did in November 2008 with a joint operation. Afghanistan is a country at war. It is unacceptable to refer those that have fled to seek protection in Europe.
In France the Minister of immigration is mocking the decision of different courts to release 130 OF the 138 Afghans who had been arrested on September 22, for their removal, with the spectacular closure of the the largest "jungle" in Calais.
These courts have highlighted the inanity of this media operation recalling the respect of the people rights and fundamental freedoms Several courts have cancelled the papers obliging the migrants to leave the French territory (APRF) with the motivation of the non respect of the right to claim asylum . the government has not remedied this.
The government remains locked in his rhetoric about the magnetic effect of the jungle, according to which Afghans, Eritreans, Iraqis, Iranians, Sudanese, etc.. don't come to Europe to save their lives and their freedoms, but for reasons of pleasure and comfort. According to this rhetoric, the current raids are supposed to carry disincentive messages in the countries of origin. So it like this that the Afghans of Calais are being taken hostage to try to terrorize their fellow victims of violence in the country.
These "cleaning operation" are continuingas well as the placement of Afghans in detention.
The joint charters which are contrary to the principle of collective deportation. They are leading to arbtitrary discriminatory and inhuman practices, in defiance of peoples fundamental rights
We call upon the French and the Britsh authorities to waive any project of deportation to Afghanistan which would seriously endanger the lives of the Exiles.
We reaffirm the urgency of making sense of asylum in Europe by providing a mechanism for all refugees to seek protection in the country of his/her choice. In the meantime, that France can and must suspend the application of the Dublin Regulation so it may host on its territory those who continue to flee conflict and take refuge in Europe.
Press contacts:
Cimade Julie Chansel 06 82 24 03 47 julie.chansel @ lacimade.org
Organisations who signed this statement:
Organisations who signed this statement; ACAT France (Action des chretiens con tre la torture), ADDE (Advocats pour la defense des droitsdes etrangers), ANAFE (Association nationale d'assistance aux frontiers pour les etrangers), APSR (Association d'Accueil aux medecins et Personelles de Sante Refugies en France), Association Primo Levi, Auberge de migrants (Calais), CAAR (Comite d'aide aux refugies-Bois-Colombes), Calais Migrant Solidarity, C'SUR (Calais), Cimade, Collectif Migrants (Dunkerque), Collectif Solidarite Migrants (Angres), Collectif de soutien de exiles (Paris), COMEDE (comite medical d'aide aux exiles), ELENA (European Legal Network on Asylum), Emmaus-France, Federation de l'Entraide Protestante, Flandre Terre Solidaire, GAS (Groupe Accueil et Solidarite), GISTI (Groupe d'information et soutien des immigres), Itinerance (Cherbourg), LDH (Lige des droits del'homme), MRAP (Moovement contre la racisme et pour l'amite entre les peuples), PCF (Parti Communiste Francais), RESF (Reseau Education sans frontiers), SAF (Syndicat des advocats France), SALAM (Calais), SALAM (Dunkerque), Secours Catholique, Syndicat de la Magistrature (SM), Terre d'errance (Norrent-Fontes), Terre de'Errance (Steenvoorde), Touts du Monde (Orleans).
Updates
* Following the announcement of the Franco-British charter with Afghans: The charter from the Lille-Lesquin airport, will be at around 23:30. The flight will deport people rounded up in the jungle of Calais. It leaves at 23:30. People are expected to be transferred from Mesnil-Amelot detention centre and perhaps from Coquelles.
* A protest at Lille-Lesquin airport will start today, 06 October 2009, 8 pm (:: french info)
* The charter deporation was :: cancelled for today (it seems that they get no authorisation for intermediate landing in Baku), but the authorities told that it will happen during next days. (:: french info)
Translation of :: french communique by :: calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com, 05. Oct 2009.