Mass deportation: Warning to Nigerians and Pakistani in Austria

For a couple of days police searches for Pakistanis all over Austria to deport them on 6th of September. The officers look at registered adresses as well at known community meeting places. Some people who are selected for this deportation were already arrested and brought to the deportation prison.

Below we are documenting a warning which was spread via E-Mail and social media:

The source of this information is reliable. As it has been tue many times (recently on the deportation to Nigeria on 10.8.2017, :: see Attachment), we trust in it, but cannot reveal it, however. Other EU countries may deport people with the same flight. Every charter involves at least 2 Eu countries. Sometimes, people from Nigeria's neighbouring countries are also deported to Nigeria.

We call out everyone who cares about the life, the freedom and the human rights of refugees to stand up against this cruel, inhumane deportation policy. Organizing protest would be highly important! We also ask you to pass this information on to family members, friends and people within your community who are potentially concerned.

In case you are potentially concerned of these mass deportations, we sincerely recommend you to be on alert and do your best to protect yourself. Don't allow them to deport you and put your life in danger!

General Information on Deportation Risk

Who may be concerned by a deportation flight:

- Generally persons who have had their second negative decision in their asylum case or who have missed to make an appeal against their first negative decision.

- People living in Austria under undocumented, irregular conditions.

- The risk is generally higher if someone is already under severe pressure from the authorities to leave Austria.

- Trouble with Austrian law enforcement authorities and having a criminal case on one's record can increase the risk of deportation, but people who have never had any such problems are also concerned.

Situations of high risk to get arrested for deportation:

- If you are called to show up at a police station, it is dangerous to go there if you are presently under deportation threat.

- For people under deportation threat, it is dangerous to get into a situation of "racial profiling" police controls. Such racist controls are common at certain places like railway stations, but also at some other police control hotspots. It is recommended to avoid such places in case that You are under deportation threat.

- The "Meldeadresse", as an officially registered address, is the place where the police will always show up first if they are searching for you for deportation.

How to avoid deportation

- Be aware of the potential dangers (see points above).

- If you have received your first negative asylum decision, you should immediately contact your lawyer or legal adviser to make an appeal against the negative decision. Be aware that many people successfully apply against the first negative asylum decision!

- Don't miss the deadline for making an application against a negative asylum decision!

- Inform your lawyer or legal adviser and also your people if you are under deportation threat, so that they can try to support you in case you get arrested!

- Collect support letters from friends, family members, colleagues, school mates, teachers etc., as well as confirmations from schools, cultural projects, volunteer projects, working places etc.!

- If you have any new information about any risks of persecution and war in your home country, you can use this to make a new asylum application!

- If you are suffering from severe physical diseases or mental troubles, get it confirmed by a doctor and present it as a reason against being deported!

- In case that you are already arrested, you have the right to demand for a phone call to inform your people and your lawyer or legal adviser.

- On a normal passengers' flight, you have lots of ways to resist: declare you are not willing to fly, demand to talk to the pilot, refuse to sit down on your seat, involve other passengers, struggle physically if necessary. But: all this does not work out on a charter flight mass deportation with lots of police inside.

- Some people managed to get out of the deportation prison due to critical health conditions resulting from hunger strike etc. But be aware that a hunger strike can be very harmful for one's health – everyone must decide for himself/herself what level of resistance is possible for her/him.

- In general: Don't hide your problem of deportation threat to yourself, share your problem with other people, get organized against deportation!