18. December: Global Action Day for the rights of migrants

Call for the :: Demonstration on December 18th in Vienna

18th of December 2015
Global action day for the rights of migrants, refugees and displaced people!
Open the borders! Migrate to live non die!
Demo starting at 5pm
In front of Kurierhaus | Lindengasse 48-52 | demonstration to the interior ministry

"Open the borders!" shout the people who are standing in Idomeini at the blocked border between Greece and Macedonia, who are fighting under inhumane conditions for their right to travel. Their fight stands for the fights of thousands of people who are blocked, who disappear, who die and are killed at borders worldwide. "Open the borders!" means away with the police and military, who are supposed to block fleeing people at the borders. "Open the borders!" means down with the fence that Austria is building in Spielfeld, down with all the fences Europe uses to isolate itself more and more. "Open the borders!" means putting an end to the murders of thousands who are fleeing in the Mediterranean sea and on the travelling routes, who only die because there are no legal ways to reach Europe. "Open the borders!" also means to break through the barriers of this normality that does not consider governmental illegalization, exploitation and assassination as noteworthy. Last but not least, "Open the borders!" means not being satisfied with the borders opening for a short time.

No, it is not enough. It is not enough at all. What we experienced in summer was just the beginning. It was one of many beginnings of awareness and mobilization. It was just the beginning because we will not accept that refugees in Austria are made homeless or have to sleep in emergency accommodations on the floor, when at the same time there are empty houses in every city.

It was just the beginning because we will not accept that in this country the right to travel, the right to choose a place to live and basic rights like the access to education, medical care and work depend on one's passport or residence title. We will not accept that Austrian politicians pretend to support the "welcoming culture", while they call for more deportations at the same time and try to push through the second tightening of the asylum laws this year.

It is completely unacceptable that the Austrian and other European governments pay milliards of Euros to the warmongering Erdogan-regime in Turkey in order to put people into prison and keep them away from the EU borders. Just as unacceptable are the meager promises given to the governments of African states in order to get them to collaborate with the EU migration system while the African resources are still plundered.

We call on everyone to intervene against deportations and racist controls, to support refugees actively in their journey into and on to other countries and in their daily fight for the necessities of life. Because this is the most normal thing in the world - bizarre and alienating are the ones who try again and again to isolate themselves because there, in the cage, in the bunker, they imagine the good life.

In Greece, Italy and many places along the borders and travelling routes through Europe, people go to the streets on the 18th of December for: "Open the borders! Migration to live non die!". Also in Mali and Togo - countries, where thousands of people set out for a dangerous route searching for a better life - is the global action day of migrants commemorated with the slogan "Save the life of migrants!". Here in Vienna we also want to take a stand together with refugees, activists and people who give direct support in sleeping quarters and at train stations as well as all solidary friends. We take a stand for a real opening of the borders! For freedom, for equal rights and a good life for everyone!

What we want:

• down with all fences, immediate stop to all "building measures"!
  
  
• police and military off the borders, free entry and passage for everyone!
  
  
• away with "Dublin", a stop to all deportations, erasure of all fingerprints!
  
  
• the right to apartments and mobility for everyone - no one should stay homeless!
  
  
• the right to education, language learning, medical treatment, work and minimum income independent of passports and status!
  
  
• full funding of practical support instead of unpaid emergency management!
  
  
• no criminalisation of unpaid and paid border crossing services, down with the "smuggling" paragraph §114!
  
  
• no "temporary asylum", no tightening of the asylum laws!
  
  
• the right to family reunion for everyone!
  
  
• recognition of female and gender-related reasons for asylum!
  
  
• stop the thousands of murders at the borders and on the travel routes, safe and legal travel routes for everyone!
  
  
• no deals for deportations and migration controls with the Turkish Erdogan-regime and the governments of African states!
  
  
• Papers for everyone or papers for no one!
  
  

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