Invitation for the Congress of the protesting Refugees in Europe

Since March 19, 2012, we, the refugees, have been involved in a struggle for obtaining the most elementary human rights, such as freedom and equality, because we will no longer accept to be treated as "foreigners" and human beings of third degree, but instead as every other citizen. This era of our struggle started with a small tent in Würzburg and grew to a huge movement that has been spreading all over Europe.

This large strike has been accompanied by ups and downs which characterize the complex developments of the protest. Tragic incidents like Mohammad Rahsepar's suicide on January 28, 2012, the beginning of the strike, the subsequent political activities like the February 13 rally, the launching of the hunger strike in Würzburg, the kick-off of the tent action project on July 10, and its expansion to eleven other cities in five federal states until September and, last but not least, the protest march to Berlin and the large strike in Berlin.

The protest of the refugees and the illegalized has borne fruits in various ways at the European level during that time, and produced important changes in several countries. Since May, strikes have been launched in Denmark, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, France, the Netherlands, and Austria. The police tore down the protest camps in the latter two cases, so that refugees will have to continue their protest in other places. The solidarity and mutual support among those struggling in Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria represent the continuing visible points of this resistance.

During this long time of arguments and struggle with a foreigner-hostile and refugee-hostile system, we have made many different and new experiences. The exchange with the illegalized on strike in the Netherlands and the strike and protest march in Austria have led us to the conclusion that a collective critical analysis and brainstorming for new ideas for the future of the refugee protests will be indispensable.

The main goal will be to create independent refugee councils, which will be completely organized by the refugees themselves. They will act as solidarity collectives in every geographic corner, develop strategies of their resistance and thus reclaim their own destiny. For that purpose we are organizing this national congress.

Therefore, we are thus inviting all refugees, illegalized, immigrants and people with a migration background, activists, students, journalists, and human rights activists to participate and cooperate in this congress.

Refugees, illegalized, and immigrants have decided to take another big step for their self-organized independence, and for a collective of resistance for those who "are not from here", for those in the lowest stratum of the European society, those who have been negated by the system with all its abundant possibilities and all its force, trying to deny them their social and human rights.

Having had numerous conversations among the organizing committee of the striking refugees and other activist refugees we have chosen the first weekend of March (1-3 March, 2013) as the date of the congress. We are inviting all activists and groups to join us, no matter if that is by simply attending the congress or by supporting us partially or wholly during its preparation. The project is currently supported by many different groups, however, your participation in it is necessary and your activities will definitely contribute to a better quality of its realization.

Please register for the congress on our website to allow for a smoother planning.

Contact: refugeecongress (at) gmail.com

The independent action committee of protesting refugees, January 2013, :: refugeecongress.wordpress.com.