Europe shuts itself off
Initiative against deportation detention, Berlin
Europe closes itself off – far beyond its borders by the rearmament of police and military, for instance, in Libya and Morocco, or by the creation of so-called "secure third countries".
Europe closes itself off – at the European external borders by ever more perfect guarding of the borders or by the threat of fines for air carriers, who bring passengers without recognised papers to Europe.
Europe closes itself off – within Europe by way of asylum systems that are aimed at rejection instead of protection against persecution.
Custody before deportation is only the tip of the iceberg and, at the same time, the summit of inhumanity: in deportation detention, there manifests itself the mechanism of surveillance, control, isolation and discrimination in the form of real imprisonment.
In the light of this enormous intervention into the freedom and the dignity of people it appears incomprehensible that detention in Germany is only an administrative measure – similar to the towing of cars or the issuing of a building authorisation.
The deportation prison of Berlin-Köpenick, in front of which we are standing, during GDR times used to be a women’s prison. The prison has room for 214 people; at this point, around 70 persons are incarcerated here. They sit in small communal cells with interior bars. Interior bars are very rare in prisons and prevent the prisoners from independently opening the windows. Only in 2003 the visitor cells with dividing windows were abolished.
How do people get into this prison, and what does it mean to be incarcerated here? I want to present this on the example of a prisoner, whom we visited in the beginning of this year. In this story, all essential points that also hold for many others come to expression. Moreover, it becomes clear this way that behind the abstract numbers and facts, there stand concrete people and fates.
I shall talk about him as Paul – in a take-off from the current poster of the federal government featuring the slogan: “For Paul from Germany” [pension at 67]. Maybe the absurdity of this system will also be articulated by the fact that I do not call this “typical detainee” Rachid, Kola, or Chi Huy. The following report might “fit” a Rachid, Kola, or Chi Huy – in sync with the current stereotypes –, it clearly does not “fit” Paul, the blond marvel with the soap bubbles.
What does Germany have in store for Paul?
To start with, a racist control system: Paul is seized in December 2006 on the journey from Poland to France at the Berlin main station. “Naturally”, he is asked for his papers; after all, he is dark-skinned.
Paul does not have any papers. That, to the foreigner agency, is reason enough to shut him up. Because to do that, there only needs to be a suspicion that he might try to evade deportation.
Paul speaks an African language and French, the clerks speak German. Nobody explains to him why he was arrested. He does not get an appointed lawyer; after all, it is a case here of a merely administrative measure.
Even though Paul from the very beginning names his home country – as turns out later – completely truthfully, they do not believe him, and he is brought up before several embassies. In between the presentations to the embassies, there lie several weeks each time. For that reason, the custody is needlessly prolonged.
Paul got blisters and inflammations in the mouth and severe stomach cramps. Against his pains, he gets pills, of which he neither knows what contents they have, nor what they are supposed to help against. The stomach pains get worse, the inflammations as well.
In general, the medical treatment in deportation prisons is inadequate. If they need to visit external physicians, detainees are brought there – like heavy criminals – in hand-cuffs which represent an additional humiliation. Moreover, the prisoners are not minded neither socially nor psychologically, even tough many of them are traumatised or become traumatised by the detention.
Paul was the only prisoner who talked French. He was not able to talk to anyone; the TV channels were all in German; he can neither read nor write. Except for the 90 minutes a day, where he can play soccer with the others in the yard, Paul has nothing to do and no social contacts.
He got more and more anxious. The uncertainty made him tired and jittery. The fear for his wife and the two children first upset, then lethargic.
We needed to witness the bodily and physical decay from visit to visit, but without being able to do anything against the inhuman bureaucratic deportation machinery.
Others in his situation have tried to kill themselves, have inflicted themselves injuries or entered into hunger strikes. Already eight death cases have become known for Berlin since 1993. In the beginning of the year 2003, it came to an unprecedented wave of suicide attempts and injuries of self.
Paul was detained for six month, even though the clerk responsible for him knew that the appropriate embassy needs [quote] “forever”. Then he was released from one day to the other and brought to Motard Street.
The detention apparently did not fulfil the goal of deportation here, even though it is the only legally permitted reason for arrest. By the same token, the law of proportionality [between punishment and alleged offence, C.K.] was broken. The arbitrariness and irresponsibility with which the case was treated was shocking even to us (even though we are conversant with the practice from long years of experience).
People can and are imprisoned after a brief hearing for up to 18 months. In 40% of the cases, they are let go again after months of detention without being deported. This shows careless decision-making by the responsible judges and the fact that the imprisonment serves rather to dissuade than to deport.
For some months, Paul has now been living in Motard Street. For his time in the detention centre at Köpenick, he will soon receive a bill. At a daily rate of 65€ and six-month of imprisonment, Germany demands 11,895€ from Paul.
Of course, Paul won’t be able to pay this astronomical sum. He has been journeying for over a year in Europe to earn money and send it to its family. His home country is shut lame by struggles between ethnic groups and offers no perspective.
Europe closes itself off – against colonialism, unfair trade practices, exploitation, war and civil war.
Europe shuts itself off – against poverty and its consequences and against those who are most touched by these consequences.
Deportation custody is not the solution – it is part of the problem.
Therefore, we demand the immediate abolition of the inhuman German deportation system.
A speech at the demonstration on November 4, 2007 at 4 p.m. at the deportation prison at Köpenick; published in Communist Platform News, December 2007, pp. 28-30 and online at www.die-linke.de/kpf
Übersetzung: Carla Krüger