Statement by the Cars of Hope collective: Stop the drownings in the Mediterranean and open the borders!

Statement about the drownings in the Mediterrean sea and border closures by the Cars of Hope collective (from July 10, 2018).

Originally published by Cars of Hope. Edited Machine translation by Enough is Enough.

Note: Presence Counts is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.

Since 2015, we, the Cars of Hope initiative, have been supporting people who are seeking refuge on the so-called Balkan route. In the last three years, the political climate in the member states of the European Union has become increasingly rough. The Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini called the people on board of the rescue ship Lifeline “human flesh”. CSU politicians again and again spoke about “asylum tourism”, as if  people who are seeking refuge are on a holiday trip. Rescue ships are blocked and their crews prosecuted. Meanwhile, more and more people die in the Mediterranean, others die in the Sahara or in inhumane camps in Libya.

The right to asylum was first curtailed in Germany in 1993. Today, the highest maxim of politics seems to be the de facto abolition of the right to asylum. It is not the permission (by the German government) of arms exports to war parties in the Syrian civil war, such as Turkey, the flooding of African markets with our agricultural surpluses, the emptying of African coastal waters by the European fishing fleet, or the climate change significantly caused by Europeans, that are discussed and seen as a problem. Instead the people who suffer from these policies and set off to find safety and a better future are seen as a problem.

The European Union (EU) says it wants to crack down on smuggling. However what the governments of the EU member states do not say, is that the border closures in the EU are the basis of the business model for so-called human traffickers. The initiators want to fight against the symptoms of their policy without removing the cause. Of course, that will not work. In their compartmentalization craze, the governments of the respective EU member states accept thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean and the Sahara. People who want to save lives are now being prosecuted. German federal interior minister Horst Seehofer has also pleaded for it.

The first victims of the new police law in the state of Bavaria (governed by the CSU) were 10 refugees in Schweinfurt. They were detained preventively after the introduction of this law, that is, without charge and without conviction. The state government in NRW now wants to bring a similar law through North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament. We fear that especially migrants and refugees will suffer from this law.

We were also threatened by police forces: In Serbia, one of our activists was threatened with arrest if he continued to distribute food to refugees. One of our helpers was tailed and later searched by police officers on Lesbos (Greece) . In Bosnia, people again and again came to us with injuries. Most were victims of police violence in the EU member states Croatia and Slovenia. On the Bosnian-Croatian border, many people told us that the Croatian police had deliberately hit their ankles to prevent them from trying to cross the border again. Mobile phones were also broken and money was stolen by Croatian and Slovenian police. All this did not stop us from continuing our work. And we will continue to do so in the future. But we realized that, above all, something has to change on the political level.

We support the protests of the “Seebruecke” initiative and call for safe havens and a humane asylum policy. Rescuing the lives of people is not a crime, but a necessity created by the inhumane EU border policy. We have no refugee crisis, but a crisis of human values ​​in Europe.

Stop drowning in the Mediterranean and open the borders!

Stop the police violence against refugees!
Stops the new police law – in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and elsewhere.

For a humane asylum policy and the fight against flight reasons, which are co-created by European states and corporations!

Cars of Hope Wuppertal, July 10, 2018.

 

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Mutual aid: Support Enough is Enough and Cars of Hope at the Bosnian/Croatian border

On July 19 two people of the Enough is Enough team will join the Cars of Hope collective in Bosnia to work together with refugees and to produce independent border monitoring reports from the Bosnian/Croatian border. Read the reports of our last stay in Bosnia: here.

We urgently need financial support to maintain the supplies for refugees and to be able to keep on building emergency shelters.

Please donate for food, tents and other things for everyday life.

The Cars of Hope bank account details:

Bank: Volksbank in Bergisches Land

Account holder: Hopetal e.V.

Description: Cars of Hope

IBAN: DE51 3406 0094 0002 9450 87

BIC: VBRSDE33XXX

Mutual Aid: Support Refugees in Bosnia

Support the work with refugees in Bosnia.

€1,00

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Fortress Europe: “It took 37 attempts but I am in Europe now!”

Last night I arrived in Bosnia with members of the Cars of Hope collective. The Balkan route took a new turn and more and more people are arriving in Bosnia. There is no fence or wall that will stop people from fleeing from war and persecution. Or as one of the refugees I spoke with today said: “It took 37 attempts but I am in Europe now!”

Originally published by Enough is Enough. Written by Riot Turtle.

I woke up in the morning with the news of the clashes on Lesvos. The islands are about to explode because most refugees are kept on Lesvos and other Greek islands. Lesvos is totally overcrowded, about 8000 people live in the Moria camp, which officially has a capacity of 2000 people. I received some videos of yesterdays violence on Lesvos, some people got severely injured and are in critical condition. That was the first thing I heard and saw this morning.

And for what? As I wrote in the introduction of this article: There is no wall or fence that will stop people from fleeing from war and persecution. I am in Velika Kladuša now, a small province town at the Bosnian side of the Bosnian-Croatian border. Velika Kladuša has a long history. It was a frontline town during the war in the times of the Osman empire and it was a frontline town again during the Balkan wars in the 1990’s. In this town many locals know what it is to flee from war and persecution. When the first refugees arrived locals immediately started to help the new arrivals.

There are some international volunteers here, but most of the work is done by local people. Refugees eat in a local restaurant. It was good to see that people got their meal served on plates and on a table. Not in plastic cups like in many state camps on the Balkan route. The owner told me he opened the doors of his restaurant because he personally knows how it feels to be forced to leave home, friends and family. He had to leave his own home during the Balkan wars.

We are working with local people and a few international volunteers here. Bosnia is not exactly a rich country but people do what they can. Refugees told us that locals come to the makeshift refugee camp every day. They bring food, shoes and clothes. The international volunteers support the locals in the restaurant and started a warehouse to collect donations. They also work together with Doctors without Borders (MSF). Organize medical support and installed showers, wash clothes etc. etc. The list what have to be done is long and new people are arriving every day.

During the night many people try to cross the border to get to Croatia and later northern Europe. In Velika Kladuša you see many people with plaster. The Croatian border police is patrolling the border with many cops, helicopters and dogs. When they find refugees they beat them up, steal their money, destroy their mobile phones… Welcome to Europe. Today I spoke with one guy who had a broken foot, broken by Croatian cops. He said: “I don’t know why they did it because they can’t stop me. Okay I have to wait for the next attempt to cross the border because my foot is broken. But it’s 5 weeks ago that they did that and in a few days my foot will be ok and than I will try to cross the border again. When I was in Turkey I needed 37 attempts to reach Greece. Every time I didn’t succeed I start to make plans for the next attempt the next days. I will get to northern Europe. There is no border that will stop me.”

Today the truck that is needed to pump water for the showers was broken. So no showers today. We went there to inform the refugees and to say to them that we’re working on it and there will be showers tomorrow again. We also started to make preparations for a free clothing shop, which will also open tomorrow. At one point a man came with his family and said: “Well maybe we come back tomorrow but maybe we succeed tonight and will leave Bosnia again. Last night we were trying it but there were too many cops. So we will try it again tonight. People are trying to cross every night and others arrive in the border town.”

The Bosnian state can’t handle the situation, the economy is weak and there is no strong infrastructure that could handle the high number of daily arrivals. Although locals and international volunteers do what they can to support refugees here, there is a lack of about anything. Therefore it would be great if people would help to support refugees here with donations. There are enough people supporting refugees here but they need financial support to continue their work with refugees.

 

You will find donation details below.

 

Mutual Aid: Support Refugees in Bosnia

 

Support the work with refugees in Bosnia.

 

€1,00

 

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You can also donate by bank transfer

Bank: Volksbank im Bergischen Land

Name of account holder: Hopetal e.V.

IBAN: DE51 3406 0094 0002 9450 87

BIC: VBRSDE33XXX

or with bitcoins:

18WH8NyyDH6xsXztxFkQW1m3xBK2NLQp3d

#NoBorders #Bosnia — The unique solidarity of Velika Kladuša

Tonight we will travel with people of the Cars of Hope collective to Bosnia. We will hook-up with our friends of the former Soul Food Kitchen. We worked with Soul Food Kitchen before (in Thessaloniki and Belgrade). Here is an article about the situation at the Bosnian-Croatian border. Locals together with international volunteers are warmly welcoming people at the Bosnian-Croatian border and are trying their best to support them and show solidarity.

Originally published by Are You Serious.

Velika Kladuša is a small town known in Bosnia as the rebel city, but also an area where, throughout history, many people have left for other countries, looking for jobs or a better life. Some have moved to nearby Croatia, some to Slovenia or Austria, or to other western European cities.

This year, Kladuša has become a place to which people are coming. Today, hundreds of people on the move are there, many sleeping rough in the streets and park, or abandoned buildings.

There is not much industry in Kladuša, but compared to other regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina—one of the poorest countries in Europe—the city seems to be quite wealthy and offers several supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels.

Velika Kladuša is located right by the border and the region is surrounded by Croatian territory to the east, north, and west. This is why it has become an important point for people on the move. The distance from Kladuša to Slovenia is less than 70 kilometers. However, people have to cross Croatia to get there, and with all the illegal push-back from that side, not many manage to find their way and Kladuša is becoming a bottleneck, a place where people are stuck.

Bosnian government has been reacting very slowly, if at all, and the same is true for the big organizations; people have been left without basic help, including accommodation, food, medical care… So locals, who went through similar experience during the war in this country from 1992 to 1995, decided to be there for all the people who need help.

Click at the image to start the video:

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Unique solidarity

For Europe, the situation is nothing new after having what has been going on in Idomeni, Belgrade, Röszke, Kelebija, Ventimiglia, Paris…just to name a few locations. What makes this situation special and extraordinary in Velika Kladuša, is the response of the locals.

At this point, together with a small number of international volunteers, they are handling the situation quite well. Hotel owners and private individuals have been accommodating people on the move since this winter; hairdressers are giving free hair cuts; restaurant owners are offering free drinks or meals if people cannot pay, and even if they don’t order something, they are welcome to spend a few hours in a cosy place and use the free Wi-Fi.

At the “Kod Latana” restaurant, close to the city center, a group of local people and volunteers of the former Soul Food Kitchen provide a free meal daily. At first, locals were financing everything themselves. Donations started coming in recently, mostly through the small Bosnian charity pomozi.ba, supported by local population and companies, but also personal donations. During Ramadan, when two meals are served each day, and with the increasing number of people, this help is more then needed.

International volunteers recently began coming to Kladuša, too. A warehouse for distributing donated clothes and the NoName Kitchen’s (WARNING: Facebook link) mobile showers were set-up.

Nevertheless, the people in Kladuša and their hospitality toward strangers are impressive.

In the restaurant “Kod Latana” they come not only for a free meal, but to find a place to rest, feel safe, and enjoy quiet for a time. The locals set the rules, and food is served as in restaurant; everybody has a place to sit, people serve them, and unlike in many other places, they use proper cutlery and dishes here for food. The food is domestic, Bosnian.

“If they are here, the situation for them must have been bad,” one local explained their solidarity.

Image: Impressions from the restaurant.

The region of Velika Kladuša was ravaged by the Bosnian war in the 90s. The memory of war, loss and the poverty that came after has created a very different situation than the situation in most of the other countries where people who have been on the move so far.

Almost everybody in Kladuša felt the war. Now, when they meet with these people who are going through the same things, they are determined to do their best to support them. And the people they are helping feel it. “People here are very good,” is the sentence ofter heard by people on the move in Kladuša. “Also, the police here are very good,” they always add referring to the very humane way they are being treated by the local police. Many are not aware that many of the people among local police officers grew up in war, have themselves been refugees, have migrants in their families, or most probably, are dreaming of leaving Bosnia soon as they are not able to cope with the difficult life in this country.

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On the other, Croatian, side of the border, the police treatment is much different. This is glaringly visible almost every time when people come back after another “game” and another push-back. The chance that they will make it over the border into the EU is so slim that they call every attempt “a game”.

“The Croatian police are a big problem,” everyone in the park in Kladuša will say. Some are coming back with wounds, even broken bones, smashed phones. The displays and sim-card slots are broken, the memory cards and batteries removed, the photos and info deleted. This makes it harder to verify their stay on Croatian soil or record evidence about the push-back.

Image: Testimonies of phones allegedly destroyed by the Croatian police.

Recently, the park where most of the people have been staying for months, has been cleared and now the municipality is trying to prevent people from staying there during the night or putting up tents. They are trying to create a camp close to the city, in a field surrounded by two rivers.

The field is about 15 minutes walk from the city center. On the day of eviction, the people were able to carry all their belongings, while the tents were transported by a truck. Additionally, the transfer was not conducted by the police but by a communal service, so it was done in a humane way.

By the new rule, the people are welcome in the city during the day, but at night they should sleep at the camp, if not in hostels, hotels or private accommodation.

However, the eviction was not well planned in advance — as happens during most evictions. The camp was not ready for the people. There is running water, but no electricity, toilets, showers or Wi-Fi. The municipality promised all these things. Toilets arrived on the day of the eviction, but many problems persist. One is that it is an open field with almost no shade, and the weather is becoming very hot in Kladuša.

However, the municipality is trying to coordinate with local and international volunteers to meet the needs of the guests as best as possible. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the residents, even after more than four months, the situation is still calm.

Before the eviction, an estimated 50 to 100 people were sleeping rough.

Image: People unloading their belongings at the field.

With the growing number of people coming to Velika Kladuša, it is feared, that the opening and welcoming attitude may shift. Long-term volunteers might remember the pictures and stories of the locals in Serbia and Croatia from 2015. When the borders were (more or less) open, locals were providing clothes, food, showers in their houses, sometimes in tears as they were reminded of their own plight as refugees. Many are afraid now that, if the situation in Velika Kladuša becomes a permanent one with even more people arriving, the mood may shift.

Image: The park after the eviction.

Hence, international volunteers should be prepared to respond to calls and needs quickly. For now, the locals are managing quite well, but are in need of financial donations to be able to continue feeding the people. When coming from abroad and trying to install structures or to support, volunteers should coordinate with the local groups and join forces to avoid parallel structures and tensions with the locals.
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In the long-term, Velika Kladuša might end up like Röszke, Kelebija or Šid, or, even worse, like Idomeni, as a part of an ever-changing route to Western and Northern Europe and the last stop before reaching an EU country. But for now, its guests will remember the big hearts of the residents and the support they get there.

(Written and all photos by: Niklas Golitschek, AYS volunteer)

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The Cars of Hope collective will travel to Bosnia tonight and will arrive in Bosnia tomorrow afternoon. They will work with friends of the former Soul Food Kitchen in Velika Kladuša. Cars of Hope activists worked with Soul Food Kitchen before (in Thessaloniki and Belgrade) and had very good experiences. Enough is Enough will join them to document the situation at the Bosnian-Croatian border. Cars of Hope will need your support to finance their work with refugees on the Balkan route. You can donate here:

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Mutual Aid: Support Refugees in Bosnia

Support the work with refugees in Bosnia.

€1,00

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You can also donate by bank transfer

Bank: Volksbank im Bergischen Land

Name of account holder: Hopetal e.V.

IBAN: DE51 3406 0094 0002 9450 87

BIC: VBRSDE33XXX

You can also donate bitcoins:

18WH8NyyDH6xsXztxFkQW1m3xBK2NLQp3d

The Balkan route took a new turn: Next stop #Bosnia

The Balkan route took a new turn , more than 3000 people came to Bosinia since January. On Saturday Riot Turtle will travel to Bosnia with people of the Cars of Hope collective.

Published by Enough is Enough. Written by Riot Turtle.

After almost all European states closed their borders, the Balkan route once again took a new turn. European state leaders seem to think that walls and fences will keep people away, but they underestimate the creativity of human beings. They only thing the policies of European governments produce is more suffering and more deaths.

More than 3000 peoplecame to Bosnia since January. From Greece more and more people pass through Albania, where autorities normally don’t register people after they arrived. From Albania they move to Montenegro. Are You Syrious (AYS) reported earlier this month that a Small local feminist activist orgaization Bona Fide in Pljevlja, Montenegro, provides support to those who are travelling. This small local group started helping people who were crossing through their city in February this year.

“We noticed a group of young men one evening, and after we approached them we learned that they are coming from Syria, over Turkey, Greece, and Albania,” Sabina Talović from Bona Fide told AYS.

Most people leave Montenegro again and travel to Bosnia. The other route for people to enter Bosnia is from Serbia. Some of them come from camps in Serbia, but most people come from Bulgaria and only crossed Serbia on their way to Bosnia.

For most people it’s getting increasingly hard to get to northern Europe. The massive police violence of the Croatian police at the border with Serbia and Bosnia continues.

In Saturday May 26th I will travel to Bosnia with members of the Cras of Hope collective. We will organize and support already existing mutual aid for people in Velika Kladuša at the Bosnian/Croatian border. But I will also report about the situation there. We will distribute food, clothes and other things people need for their daily life.

Especially during the Ramadan a lot of support is needed. Local people from Velika Kladuša and two activists that worked before on other spots at the Balkan route, cook and serve hundreds of meal every day after sunset. The fasten-break or Ifthar is more than just eating for many people. The number of people continues to grow and the inititiatives are running out of money.

We will need your support to finance our work with refugees on the Balkan route. You can donate here:

Mutual Aid: Support Refugees in Bosnia

Urgent: Refugees in #Sarajevo need Support

In Sarajevo, mostly locals are helping to all those who are arriving daily. Every kind of help is needed medical, food, clothes, shoes…Volunteers are needed too, including doctors or nurses. If you can come to Bosnia, please get in touch with Are You Syrious.

Originally published by Are You Syrious.

Note: Presence Counts is not organizing any of  these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.

Full update on situation in Sarajevo

On Friday evening, over 40 people entered Bosnia from Serbia, mostly families with children. For now, all of them have been placed in a local hostel paid for by the local volunteers in Sarajevo, but soon they will be moved to Delijas, the only existing asylum center. They will be forced to stay at this center in the mountains, where they are not given adequate food or any kind of help, far from the city. It is a twelve-kilometer walk to the closest gas station where they have a phone and an internet signal. No volunteers are allowed into this center.

Nevertheless, groups of local and international volunteers are trying to help all the people who are arriving daily in Sarajevo. Several hundreds are now on the streets since no shelter has been provided by the government, UNHCR or any organization that exists in the country. The only available help is coming from the small, local groups of international volunteers.

Two groups that are working in Sarajevo need your help.

One is Pomozi.ba, a local charity that supports volunteers in the field. The volunteers are working to provide accommodation for all, giving priority to the mostly vulnerable people. So far they are taking care of about 300 people, but many are still on the streets.

Locals are also providing food, medical help, clothing and everything else. But they desperately need help to continue working, while the number of people who are arriving is increasing every day.

You can help by donating to Pomozi.ba

Name of the bank: Intesa Sanpaolo Banka BiH
SWIFT CODE:UPBKBA22
IBAN: BA39 1541802008533048
Receiving: Udruženje “Pomozi.ba”, dr. Fetaha Bećirbegovića br. 8, 71000 Sarajevo
Purpose: help for refugees

If you want to send financial support from Austria:
ERSTE BANK
IBAN: AT64 2011182266475400
BIC: GIBAATWWXXX
Wien, Oestereich
Name: hilfhelfen-pomozi.ba

If you want to volunteer in Bosnia, please get in touch through the AYS inbox on Facebook. Experienced volunteers only.

The other group  (Warning Facebook Link) are international volunteers who are working at a private property with a local family who has offered shelter for about 80 single men. But every day new people are arriving and they are struggling with financing food, blankets, and other essential items.

Working on the Balkan Route: “I Can Still Here Croatian Cops Screaming ‘One line!’ in #Opatovac”

States and borders are dividing people. Dividing in them and us. When do we finally get rid of these tools of suffering and oppression? On December 17 I will travel to Lesvos, Greece, again and will stay there for almost a month. It seems a long time ago that I started working with refugees on the Balkan route, but actually its not. A little more than two years have past after I drove to Slovenia. A good friend wrote me in September 2015 about the situation on the Croatian/Slovenian border and asked me to come and support. A lot has happened since then…

Video by the author of this aricle, Riot Turtle, about the next campaign on Lesvos.

Published by Enough is Enough. Written by Riot Turtle.

Note: Presence Counts is not organizing any of  these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.

Riot Turtle About Border Closures: “The EU Member States Don’t Want to be Confronted With Their Deadly Policies”

States and borders are dividing people. Dividing in “them and us”. When do we finally get rid of these tools  of oppression? On December 17 I will travel to Lesvos, Greece, again and will stay there for almost a month. It seems a long time ago that I started working with refugees on the Balkan route, but actually its not. A little more than two years have past after I drove to Slovenia. A good friend wrote me in September 2015 about the situation on the Croatian/Slovenian border and asked me to come and support. A lot has happened since then…

Image: Slovenian/Croatian border in Bregana, Slovenia on September 19, 2015. Image by @RiotTurtle65

I didn’t think long when Luka (name changed), a Slovenian comrade and good friend, wrote me in September 2015. I was planning to drive to the Netherlands for a few days but I immediately changed my plans and drove to Slovenia the next morning. I first met Luka and we discussed the situation. Luka proposed to document it all and spread it through our independent media channels.

I drove to Bregana at the Slovenian/Croation border and the first thing I saw was a lot of riot cops and military. Helicopters in the air, armoured vehicles, shields, helmets and batons. The full program. A group of people was sitting on the ground on the so-called no man’s land, a small territory between the Slovenian and Croatian border posts. I started to talk with people and asked if I could take some pictures. They agreed and so I started to document the disgusting scenery. A totally militarized border to stop people from seeking refuge.

During the night that followed people again and again asked to let a sick child pass the border. On the Slovenian side of the border was the nearest hospital. But the cops refused to let her pass and in the early morning hours the child died. I wiped a few tears, and got sad and angry at the same time. Borders kill!

The Slovenian ruling class didn’t mind to let these people suffer and refused the necessary treatment of the sick child, but they seemed to be stressed about possible bad publicity after the child died. The image of their state could suffer. A few hours later suddenly coaches parked at the border and Syrian families with children were allowed to pass the border to get into the coaches. All refugees protested, including the ones who were allowed to get to the coaches. The solidarity between all people on this tiny piece of land was inspiring.

Image: One of the coaches on the Slovenian/Croatian border in September 2015. Image by @RiotTurtle65

Nobody knew where the coaches were bringing these people and together with some other people I decided to follow the coaches. We discussed who would stay at the border  with the people who were still there, to make sure that enough people would stay.

In the beginning it looked like the coaches were only accompanied by one police car, but soon the first of our cars was stopped by state security in a civil cars. Soon the second car was stopped and I decided to take a bit more distance. I managed to follow them a long time but a few kilometers before Maribor I lost them. I circled around but didn’t find the coaches again. A little bit later I heard that the coaches had left Slovenia and crossed a small border post. The coaches were in Austria now and I decided to drive to Austria.

I drove to Heiligenkreuz at the Austrian/Hungarian border and met a few comrades. Thousands of people arrived here and it was a pretty chaotic scene because the Austrian army and cops had surrounded them on a small piece of land. But little by little people were transported to different Austrian cities and to Germany.

Image: The scenery in Heiligenkreuz, Austria in Septemeber 2015. Image by @RiotTurtle65

During my stay in Heiligenkreuz we (me and some comrades) heard that Hungarian cops started to chase and arrest refugees on the Hungarian side of the border. We mobilized more people and drove to the Hungarian side of the border. We saw that the information that we received was correct and started to act. The Hungarian cops tried to arrest as many refugees as they could. It was the implemenation of a new law of the fascist Orban regime, which allowed the Hungarian state to detain people up to 3 years for illegally entering Hungary. For obvious reasons I can’t write about what kind of actions took place during that night but somehow many people arrived in Austria and were save for the Hungarian cops.

I was able to sleep a bit in the car and a few hours later I drove to Salzburg, Austria. Around the main train station I saw soldiers patrolling with machine guns in their hands. Many people were sitting on the ground at the main train station. Waiting for things to come. All trains to Germany were cancelled. A few kilometers from the main train station German riot cops closed the Austrian/German border, only letting in a certain amount of people per day.

Image: Monitor at the main train station in Salzburg, Austria in September 2015. All trains to Germany were cancelled. Image by @RiotTurtle65

I drove back home after that, with a head full of images. But soon I was back on the Balkan route. We organized a convoy to Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia about 1 month after I returned to Germany. The Cars of Hope collective was born. The misery on the Balkan route was getting bigger and bigger. More and more European states were sealing-off their borders with military, cops and fences.

The scenery in state-run camps like Opatovac (Croatia), Šentilj and Dobova (Both Slovenia, video below) was similar. People were treated more than just inhuman. They were subject to police violence and terrorized. I can still here Croatian cops screaming “One line!” in Opatovac. Even mother and children were only allowed to walk behind each other in a line. “One Line!” I decided that I was not going to support the scum that created these camps by working there. I documented (which was forbidden) the situation in Opatovac and left again. I drove to Serbia and started to work there on a rest area along the highway from Sid to Belgrade. There we were able to work self-organized. People were allowed to move and we build-up a mobile charging station for smartphones. Smartphones were crucial for many people as they often lost friends or family on their long journey… For me it was important not to get exploited for the goals of state rulers, but to work in a self-organized structure and on eye-level with people. Also when it comes to decsion making.

After that I went many times on the Balkan route with the cars of Hope collective. We worked with Soul Food kitchen for people who were sleeping in the streets and parks of Thessaloniki (Greece), with Soul Welders in Belgrade (Serbia), with No Border Kitchen Lesvos (Greece) and many others.  We also worked a lot in Idomeni (Greece) and organized appartments for many people after the “wild” Idomeni camp was evicted. But we also did a lot of presentations in many German cities to create awareness about the situation of refugees on the Balkan route. Many activists of Cars of Hope also fight deportations in Germany and are involved in demonstrations and other actions for the freedom of movement.

The EU/Turkey deal from March 2016 is a disgusting deal which caused more deaths and  legalized trade with humans. The European Union and its member states are paying the Turkish state billions to keep refugees out of Europe and if people do manage to reach the European Union, the EU member states can deport them back to Turkey. But Erdogan’s authoritarian Turkish state wasn’t enough for many EU member states. An even more down-and-dirty deal was made with Libya. A country where people are put in camps that are even worse than in Europe. The European Union is doing business with a country where refugees are being sold as slaves.

The year 2017 is coming to an end I will travel on the Balkan route again. This time to Lesvos and Athens, this time for almost a month. We still have states and borders, we still have people dying at sea and at inner European borders. I will continue to fight for peoples rights like the freedom of movement and also support people who are seeking refuge as much and as good as I can. It makes no sense that people like me are priviliged and can travel wherever they want to just because I was born in northern Europe. I absolutely didn’t do anything that justifies this kind of privilage in comparison to people that were born somewhere elso on this planet. All people have the right to the freedom of movement.

The continent that colonized large parts of the world, that is making money by selling arms to war zones, that is crushing out peoples basic existence with trade deals that destroy local economies around the globe, has closed its borders. We have to overcome this kind of policies, we have to overcome states and borders. We have to get rid of an economical and political system that is dividing us and that destroys our planet.

On Lesvos we (the Cars of Hope collective) will support the Open The Islands campaign, just like we did in the Vohwinkel district and the university of Wuppertal, Germany. For me personally thats not enough, but its a first step towards a real freedom of movement.

Many people support the work of the Cars of Hope collective on the Balkan route. If you also want to support the work with refugees we do you can join our crowdfunding campaign at (scroll down for English) https://www.leetchi.com/c/soziales-von-cars-of-hope or donate directly by PayPal: carsofhopewtal@gmail.com

Transnational mobilization for the rights of migrants and against fascism – Humanity Welcome

HUMANITY WELCOME

Gorizia – Saturday December 16th, 3pm, Casa Rossa/Rusa hiša
Transnational mobilization for the rights of migrants and against fascism.

Originally published by Rete Solidale Pordenone.

Note: Presence Counts is not organizing any of  these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.

 

HUMANITY WELCOME

Gorizia – Saturday December 16th, 3pm, Casa Rossa/Rusa hiša
Transnational mobilization for the rights of migrants and against fascism.

Gorizia is by its nature a crossing point in the centre of a common territory, which was always, and is nowadays more than ever, transnational, multilingual and multicultural. It is not a coincidence that diverse nations in this city stood together to stop the rise of Nazi after the fall of the Fascism in September 1943. For the same reasons, Gorizia is also under constant pressure of nationalisms, of racism and fascism. A hundred years ago in its surrounding area there used to be the most bloody battles of the First World War, which left hatred and false divisions behind.

In the past weeks this contrast was evident as never before: we could witness the civil war of institutions against the migrants who found shelter in the Bombi gallery – the gallery that years ago used to be a shelter for people during Second World War bombardments. This gallery is a symbol and a proof of the past and actual Fascism. A proof that can be summed up in one word: INHUMANITY.

IT IS INHUMAN:
neglecting the hygienic minimum and even water to whom has no place to go to,
forcing hundreds of people to sleep in makeshift shelters;
in the depths of winter preventing an access to a few shelters, which protect from rain and snow;
transforming the person who comes from somewhere else into an object of miserable political campaigns, stirring up xenophobia and intolerance.

This inhumanity has already many faces and too many responsibilities. On the one hand, we can notice an obvious inhumanity, claimed by the mayors of Gorizia and Pordenone and their councils – among the members of the councils there are persons who have no problem sharing the table with whom openly praises Fascism. On the other hand it is also true that the tragic situation of the migrants in Italy, Europe and African countries facing the Mediterranean, is a result of precise choices.

IT IS INHUMAN:
externalizing the control of migration flows and national borders as the European Union does;
the Italian Government’s deals with Libyan criminal militia, that practices slavery;
the exploitation of migrants and the idea that someone can migrate only if he/she sacrifices his/her personal freedom and life itself;
the criminalization of those who offer first aid to migrants, on the sea and land;
the Dublin agreement and the pervert bureaucratic mechanisms asylum seekers are bound to;
the false welcome actions, based on the principles of security, and the permission to application of them to private institutions that follow profits, or to volunteers, that are taking the risk of becoming instrument of control and blackmail;
the use of administrative detention and imprisonment for those who don’t have personal identification documents;
the exploitation and the denial of migrant labor rights as a feature of European labor policies;
the economic exploitation by the European Union countries of the territories from which the migrants come;
the military interventions and sale of weapons by the European Union countries, which perpetuate a state of permanent war in the countries from which migrants are forced to escape.

From Gorizia we can and we want to start renewing the idea of humanity, reconstruct the concepts of hospitality, mutualism, mutual recognition and universal equality.

FOR US IS HUMAN:
rejecting and fighting any kind of war between the poor, and the inhuman idea that the poorest and weakest are the ones to pay the cost of a crazy development system;
guaranteeing a suitable welcome, that is not only guaranteeing secure and easily accessible places, but also places integrated with the territory, which allow real mutual awareness and the approach of autonomy, identity and individual integrity of everyone;
opposing ourselves to the opening of detention centres and fighting for the closure of the existing ones;
unveiling that there is no “immigration emergency”, and that migrations are a structural phenomenon of human history, very extended in an irreversibly globalised world;
understanding that this phenomenon can only be tackled by involving and including migrants in the decisions and routes that are related to them;
learning to change through mutual recognition, all of us, HUMAN BEINGS, BORN EQUAL ON THE ONE AND UNIQUE PLANET.

To reaffirm these principles of universal humanity, in Gorizia we are starting a common transnational fight with common mobilization, which starts on the border crossing Casa Rossa/Rožna dolina, on Saturday, 16 December at 15 h.

Urgent: Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are separating migrants due to their (supposed) nationalities

Since yesterday the states of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are separating migrants due to their (supposed) nationalities by racial profiling. Obviously the IOM and UNHCR are collaborating with the governments in this issue.

The goal of the governments is to prevent those from entering their countries, who are not of (supposedly) Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan origin and to weaken the power of the migration movement. It is not clear what will happen now to those who are separated and prevented from entrance. It is not recommended to sign any paper, which you cannot read. Always ask for translation into your language and ask what are the consequences of signing.

There were reports from the Greek-/Macedonian border, that people who had lost their Greek registration papers had to show their ID to enter into Macedonia. This can be very difficult and problematic, so keep an eye on your Greek papers.

We demand to immediately put an end to the practice of racial profiling and to guarantee freedom of movement for everybody!

Update, Info & FAQ für UnterstützerInnen an der grenze 5.11.2015 – 16:00 Uhr/Update, Info&Q&A for volunteers at the borders in Austria, 05/11/2015, 4pm

***ENGLISH BELOW***

Wir sind viele und wir können viel bewirken! DANKE an EUCH ALLE, die ihr Solidarität mit den Menschen auf der Flucht Wirklichkeit werden lasst! Wir von Border Crossing Spielfeld sind Menschen und Initiativen, die an der Grenze in Mureck, Ehrenhausen und Spielfeld verwurzelt sind und versorgen Euch weiterhin mit aktuellen Infos, wo und wie ihr aktiv werden könnt!

FREIWILLIGE in SPIELFELD
Der Zugang zum Grenzübergang Spielfeld wird von der Polizei (meist) nur angemeldeten Freiwilligen erlaubt.

ANMELDEMÖGLICHKEITEN derzeit:
1) TEAM ÖSTERREICH/ROTES KREUZ
Wer sich beim Team Österreich registriert, kann sich nun auch für die Nachtschicht von 0-6 Uhr melden! Ebenso ist es möglich, flexible Dienstzeiten im Onlinekalender einzutragen, wenn eine 6-Stundenschicht für Euch nicht möglich ist. Voraussetzung: Wohnsitz in Österreich. Die Registrierung beim Team Österreich beinhaltet eine Versicherung.
https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Anmeldung für die Schicht: https://helfen.st.roteskreuz.at/
2) MOBILE KÜCHE Verein TWO
https://www.facebook.com/two.austria/?fref=ts.
Anmeldung bis 20 Uhr abends für den darauffolgenden Tag unter: https://sites.google.com/…/mobile-ku…/kuechenhilfe-spielfeld
3) CARITAS
https://caritas-steiermark.doodle.com/poll/bxkckdmidinbgags

FREIWILLIGE in BAD RADKERSBURG
Für all jene, denen es wichtig ist, an einem übersichtlichen Ort zu unterstützen, empfiehlt sich der Grenzübergang Radkersburg. Dort kamen bislang jeweils um 9, 14 und 17 Uhr Gruppen von an die 500 Personen recht gut organisiert über die Grenze. Anmeldung zum Team Österreich erforderlich: https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
KONTAKT Sandra Schober vom Roten Kreuz 06645146532; bzw RK Leitstelle 03476/21440. Der Einsatzort befindet sich im Stadtgraben gleich vor dem Grenzübergang rechts.

FREIWILLIGE im LAGER SENTILJ (SLO)
Zugang zum Lager Sentilj (300m südlich des Grenzübergangs Spielfeld) ist nur nach Registrierung über die NGO Slovenska filantropija möglich:
http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/
Kontakt: Primož Jamšek
office: 00386 /0/ 1/ 433 40 24 cellular 041 654 726 primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org
Kontakt in Sentilj: Bojana Kos Grabar 00386-51-314208
Anfahrt Lager Sentilj: Auf der Autobahn über die Grenze fahren, die erste Abfahrt (ganz kurze Strecke) nehmen, rechts fahren bis zur Polizeiabsperrung.

MITFAHRGELEGENHEITEN von Graz/Spielfeld findet ihr hier: https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

UNTERSTÜTZUNG ÜBERALL
Sucht, wo immer ihr sie trefft, den direkten Kontakt zu den Menschen. Die Möglichkeit zu telefonieren, kurz Internetzugang zu haben (WIFI-Hotspot über das Smartphone) oder das Handy aufzuladen, ist für viele ganz wichtig. Ein Gespräch, eine Umarmung, kann manchmal mehr Kraft geben, als ein Müsliriegel.

SACHSPENDEN: +++Spenden können nicht direkt zur Grenze in Spielfeld gebracht werden, bitte die Updates beachten, bevor ihr euch auf den Weg macht+++

ABGABESTELLEN:
1) WAGNA
Marburgerstrasse 109, 8435 Wagna
Mo. – Fr. v. 17-19 Uhr
und diesen Sa. v.10-13 Uhr (07.11)
Aktuell wird benötigt:
– Ingwer, Linsen (rot), Karfiol, Zucchini, Petersilienwurzel, gewürfelte Tomaten in Dosen, passierte Tomaten
– Einwegbecher/Suppentassen (ca 300ml) /Löffel
– Schwarztee in Beuteln, Decken, Isomatten
– Gasflaschen für die Küche: 10 kg oder 12 kg
2) CARLA LEIBNITZ
Kleiderspenden; Grazergasse 12, 8430 Leibnitz, Tel: 0676 880 156 74
Mo-Fr 9-18 Uhr
Sa 9-17 Uhr
So 9-15 Uhr
https://www.caritas-steiermark.at/…/sued-weststei…/leibnitz/
3) CARITAS MARIBOR (SLO)
Ljubljanska Ulica 23
2000 Maribor
Mo-Fr. 7-15 Uhr
+398659 080 365
http://www.karitasmb.si/2_vsebina.php?id_menu=11
Es werden Spenden aller Art angenommen, auch Essen. Die Versorgung im Lager Sentilj ist besonders wichtig, weil Menschen, die das Transitlager Sentilj verlassen und Richtung Transitraum Spielfeld marschieren, derzeit sehr viele Stunden auf Einlass warten müssen. Daher ist es umso wichtiger, dass sie zuvor ausreichend verpflegt und eingekleidet werden.
4) GRENZÜBERGANG RADKERSBURG
Derzeit nur Baby- und Kinderkleidung von 1-5 Jahre. Bitte nach Größen sortiert, eingesackelt und beschriftet am Stadtgraben vor dem Grenzübergang abgeben (blauer Container)
5) LAGER SENTILJ (SLO) – 300m südlich der Grenze
Anfahrt Lager Sentilj: Auf der Autobahn über die Grenze fahren, die erste Abfahrt (ganz kurze Strecke) nehmen, rechts fahren bis zur Polizeiabsperrung. Wir erhalten unterschiedliche Meldungen bezügl. der Spendenannahme. Manchmal wird gar nichts angenommen, manchmal sehr gerne. Info einer Unterstützerin vom 30.10.: “Falls man einmal nicht hinein darf, gibt es auf der anderen Seite der Senke eine kleine Kirche mit einem sehr netten Pfarrer. Er spricht gut Deutsch. Er stellt seine Räume zum Spendensammeln zur Verfügung. Bei Bedarf holt der Zivilschutz/Feuerwehr die Spenden dort ab und bringt sie direkt ins Lager.”
Unser Tipp: In Sentilj Abgabe versuchen und wenn’s nicht klappt nach Maribor weiterfahren bzw. schon im Vorfeld Kontakt aufnehmen mit NGO Slovenska primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org filantropija http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/

WAS IST SINNVOLL?
BABYPAKETE: Windeln, Feuchttücher, Babywundcreme (zb Babycreme von Weleda), Wärmeflasche, Fläschchen, Babykeks), löslicher Tee;
KLEIDUNG: Gebraucht werden primär feste Schuhe in allen Größen und ohne Absätze, Socken (für Kinder,Frauen, Männer), Strumpfhosen, lange Unterhosen, warme Winterjacken; wärmendes Baby- und Kindergewand. Unbedingt sortiert und beschriftet!

AKTUELLES
Aktuelle Informationen im Live-Ticker der Kleinen Zeitung: http://www.kleinezeitung.at/s/steiermark/index.do

PRIVATE FAHRTEN:
Immer wieder erfahren wir von SüdsteiererInnen, die spontan Menschen weitertransportieren oder mit nach Hause nehmen zum Aufwärmen, Duschen, Rasten und Essen. Es ist aber nicht so, dass immer Leute zu Fuß unterwegs sind. Organisierte Konvois für private Mitfahrgelegenheiten machen derzeit daher keinen Sinn, nur im Falle, wenn wieder große Gruppen auf der Strasse unterwegs sind.

ANFAHRT NACH SPIELFELD:
Der Transitraum befindet sich am Bundesstraßengrenzübergang. Abfahrt Spielfeld, am Kreisverkehr Richtung Grenze, nach 1 km erstes Grenzerhäuschen, linkerhand der Transitraum. Das Versorgungszelt und die Einsatzleitung des Roten Kreuzes befinden sich im linken hinteren Teil des Geländes (Rot-Kreuz-Fahne). Auch wenn am Kreisverkehr die Polizei die Zufahrt zur Grenze absperrt, werden TeamÖsterreich-Mitglieder, die sich für eine Schicht registriert haben, durchgelassen.
Mitfahrgelegenheiten von Graz/Spielfeld findet ihr hier: https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

Bitte auch auf Posts und Kommentare der UnterstützerInnen vor Ort zu diesem Update achten. Sie zeigen den aktuellsten Bedarf an, der allerdings auch nur kurzfristig aktuell sein kann.
Wir danken jeder und jedem einzelnen, die/der sich engagiert! Ihr seid einfach Klasse. Wir freuen uns über so viel Menschlichkeit! Lasst nicht locker! DANKE

***ENGLISH*** UPDATE AND INFO FOR VOLUNTEERS***ENGLISH***
We at Border Crossing Spielfeld are grassroot initiatives from Mureck, Ehrenhausen and Spielfeld. We are providing activists with up-to-date information to enable you to get active on the ground.

VOLUNTEERING in SPIELFELD
Access to Spielfeld border crossing is (usually) only permitted to volunteers who have registered in advance.
How to get there: Take highway exit ‘Spielfeld’. Go left at the round-about. There is a police check point where you will be asked if you are registered before entering. Go straight for approximately 1 km. The transit area is to your left. You will find RC headquarters, kitchen and food distribution point at the left rear section of the area.

REGISTERING OPTIONS:
For people residing outside Austria we suggest registering option 2 and 3.
1) TEAM ÖSTERREICH/RED CROSS
Only possible for people who have their residency in Austria. Registering includes insurance. It is possible to register for 6 hour shifts or for shorter ones.
https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Anmeldung für die Schicht: https://helfen.st.roteskreuz.at/
2) MOBILE KITCHEN of the association TWO. No residency in Austria required.
https://www.facebook.com/two.austria/?fref=ts.
Please register until 8pm for the day after at:
https://sites.google.com/…/mobile-ku…/kuechenhilfe-spielfeld
You have to put your name on the doodle-calender AND send an e-mail to two.helfer@gmail.com. Please insert the following data into the e-mail headline: full name, the date you want to volunteer, day or night (i.e. Angela Davis, 04 november, night); please put your phone number into the email as well. The association will pass on your name to the police so you will be allowed to pass at the check point. Please send data within 8pm latest for the day after.
3) CARITAS: No residency in Austria required.
https://caritas-steiermark.doodle.com/poll/bxkckdmidinbgags

VOLUNTEERING in BAD RADKERSBURG
In Bad Radkersburg until now, no one ahad to stay over night. Please register with Team Österreich/Red Cross: https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Contact: Sandra Schober (Red Cross). The transit area is right at the border crossing (white tents, blue containter).

VOLUNTEERING in SENTILJ CAMP (SLO)
Access to the camp in Sentilj (300 meters south of the border) is only possible after registering with the NGO Slovenska filantropija:
http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/
Contact: Primož Jamšek
Office: 00386 /0/ 1/ 433 40 24 Cell phone 041 654 726 primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org
Contact in Sentilj: Bojana Kos Grabar 00386-51-314208
How to get there:
Use the highway border crossing to Slovenia, take the first exit after a very short drive, go right and right and stop at the police blockade.

SHARE A CAR from Graz to Spielfeld in this group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

SOLIDARITY WITH REFUGEES everywhere
Try to get in touch with people wherever you meet them. The possiblity to use internet (via a Hot spot created by your phone), or to make a phone call, or to charge th

 

Border Crossing Spielfeld

Update, Info & FAQ für UnterstützerInnen an der grenze 4.11.2015 – 10:00 Uhr/Update, Info&Q&A for volunteers at the borders in Austria, 04/11/2015, 10am

***ENGLISH BELOW***

Manchmal ist es wie Weihnachten… Wir posten einen Aufruf und binnen kürzester Zeit tauchen in Spielfeld UnterstützerInnen und Spenden auf! Wir sind viele und wir können viel bewirken! DANKE an EUCH ALLE, die ihr Solidarität mit den Menschen auf der Flucht Wirklichkeit werden lasst! Wir von Border Crossing Spielfeld sind Initiativen, die an der Grenze in Mureck, Ehrenhausen und Spielfeld verwurzelt sind und versorgen Euch weiterhin mit aktuellen Infos, wo und wie ihr aktiv werden könnt!

FREIWILLIGE in SPIELFELD
Der Zugang zum Grenzübergang Spielfeld wird von der Polizei (meist) nur angemeldeten Freiwilligen erlaubt.

ANMELDEMÖGLICHKEITEN derzeit:
1) TEAM ÖSTERREICH/ROTES KREUZ
Wer sich beim Team Österreich registriert, kann sich nun auch für die Nachtschicht von 0-6 Uhr melden! Ebenso ist es möglich, flexible Dienstzeiten im Onlinekalender einzutragen, wenn eine 6-Stundenschicht für Euch nicht möglich ist. Voraussetzung: Wohnsitz in Österreich. Die Registrierung beim Team Österreich beinhaltet eine Versicherung.
https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Anmeldung für die Schicht: https://helfen.st.roteskreuz.at/
2) MOBILE KÜCHE Verein TWO
https://www.facebook.com/two.austria/?fref=ts.
Anmeldung bis 20 Uhr abends für den darauffolgenden Tag unter: https://sites.google.com/…/mobile-ku…/kuechenhilfe-spielfeld
3) CARITAS
https://caritas-steiermark.doodle.com/poll/bxkckdmidinbgags

FREIWILLIGE in BAD RADKERSBURG
Für all jene, denen es wichtig ist, an einem übersichtlichen Ort zu unterstützen, empfiehlt sich der Grenzübergang Radkersburg. Dort kamen bislang jeweils um 9, 14 und 17 Uhr Gruppen von an die 500 Personen recht gut organisiert über die Grenze. Anmeldung zum Team Österreich erforderlich: https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
KONTAKT Sandra Schober vom Roten Kreuz 06645146532; bzw RK Leitstelle 03476/21440. Der Einsatzort befindet sich im Stadtgraben gleich vor dem Grenzübergang rechts.

FREIWILLIGE im LAGER SENTILJ (SLO)
Zugang zum Lager Sentilj (300m südlich des Grenzübergangs Spielfeld) ist nur nach Registrierung über die NGO Slovenska filantropija möglich:
http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/
Kontakt: Primož Jamšek
office: 00386 /0/ 1/ 433 40 24 cellular 041 654 726 primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org
Kontakt in Sentilj: Bojana Kos Grabar 00386-51-314208
Anfahrt Lager Sentilj: Auf der Autobahn über die Grenze fahren, die erste Abfahrt (ganz kurze Strecke) nehmen, rechts fahren bis zur Polizeiabsperrung.

MITFAHRGELEGENHEITEN von Graz/Spielfeld findet ihr hier: https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

UNTERSTÜTZUNG ÜBERALL
Sucht, wo immer ihr sie trefft, den direkten Kontakt zu den Menschen. Die Möglichkeit zu telefonieren, kurz Internetzugang zu haben (WIFI-Hotspot über das Smartphone) oder das Handy aufzuladen, ist für viele ganz wichtig. Ein Gespräch, eine Umarmung, kann manchmal mehr Kraft geben, als ein Müsliriegel.

SACHSPENDEN: +++Spenden können nicht direkt zur Grenze in Spielfeld gebracht werden, bitte die Updates beachten, bevor ihr euch auf den Weg macht+++

ABGABESTELLEN:
1) WAGNA
Marburgerstrasse 109, 8435 Wagna
Mo. – Fr. v. 17-19 Uhr
und diesen Sa. v.10-13 Uhr (07.11)
Aktuell wird benötigt:
– Ingwer, Linsen (rot), Karfiol, Zucchini, Petersilienwurzel, gewürfelte Tomaten in Dosen, passierte Tomaten
– Einwegbecher/Suppentassen (ca 300ml) /Löffel
– Schwarztee in Beuteln, Decken, Isomatten
– Gasflaschen für die Küche: 10 kg oder 12 kg
2) CARLA LEIBNITZ
Kleiderspenden; Grazergasse 12, 8430 Leibnitz, Tel: 0676 880 156 74
Mo-Fr 9-18 Uhr
Sa 9-17 Uhr
So 9-15 Uhr
https://www.caritas-steiermark.at/…/sued-weststei…/leibnitz/
3) CARITAS MARIBOR (SLO)
Ljubljanska Ulica 23
2000 Maribor
Mo-Fr. 7-15 Uhr
+398659 080 365
http://www.karitasmb.si/2_vsebina.php?id_menu=11
Es werden Spenden aller Art angenommen, auch Essen. Die Versorgung im Lager Sentilj ist besonders wichtig, weil Menschen, die das Transitlager Sentilj verlassen und Richtung Transitraum Spielfeld marschieren, derzeit sehr viele Stunden auf Einlass warten müssen. Daher ist es umso wichtiger, dass sie zuvor ausreichend verpflegt und eingekleidet werden.
4) GRENZÜBERGANG RADKERSBURG
Derzeit nur Baby- und Kinderkleidung von 1-5 Jahre. Bitte nach Größen sortiert, eingesackelt und beschriftet am Stadtgraben vor dem Grenzübergang abgeben (blauer Container)
5) LAGER SENTILJ (SLO) – 300m südlich der Grenze
Anfahrt Lager Sentilj: Auf der Autobahn über die Grenze fahren, die erste Abfahrt (ganz kurze Strecke) nehmen, rechts fahren bis zur Polizeiabsperrung. Wir erhalten unterschiedliche Meldungen bezügl. der Spendenannahme. Manchmal wird gar nichts angenommen, manchmal sehr gerne. Unser Tipp: In Sentilj Abgabe versuchen und wenn’s nicht klappt nach Maribor weiterfahren.
Oder Kontakt aufnehmen mit NGO Slovenska primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org filantropija http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/

WAS IST SINNVOLL?
BABYPAKETE: Windeln, Feuchttücher, Babywundcreme (zb Babycreme von Weleda), Wärmeflasche, Fläschchen, Babykeks), löslicher Tee;
KLEIDUNG: Gebraucht werden primär feste Schuhe in allen Größen und ohne Absätze, Socken (für Kinder,Frauen, Männer), Strumpfhosen, lange Unterhosen, warme Winterjacken; wärmendes Baby- und Kindergewand. Unbedingt sortiert und beschriftet!

AKTUELLES
Aktuelle Informationen im Live-Ticker der Kleinen Zeitung: http://www.kleinezeitung.at/s/steiermark/index.do

PRIVATE FAHRTEN:
Immer wieder erfahren wir von SüdsteiererInnen, die spontan Menschen weitertransportieren oder mit nach Hause nehmen zum Aufwärmen, Duschen, Rasten und Essen. Es ist aber nicht so, dass immer Leute zu Fuß unterwegs sind. Organisierte Konvois für private Mitfahrgelegenheiten machen derzeit daher keinen Sinn, nur im Falle, wenn wieder große Gruppen auf der Strasse unterwegs sind.

ANFAHRT NACH SPIELFELD:
Der Transitraum befindet sich am Bundesstraßengrenzübergang. Abfahrt Spielfeld, am Kreisverkehr Richtung Grenze, nach 1 km erstes Grenzerhäuschen, linkerhand der Transitraum. Das Versorgungszelt und die Einsatzleitung des Roten Kreuzes befinden sich im linken hinteren Teil des Geländes (Rot-Kreuz-Fahne). Auch wenn am Kreisverkehr die Polizei die Zufahrt zur Grenze absperrt, werden TeamÖsterreich-Mitglieder, die sich für eine Schicht registriert haben, durchgelassen.
Mitfahrgelegenheiten von Graz/Spielfeld findet ihr hier: https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

Bitte auch auf Posts und Kommentare der UnterstützerInnen vor Ort zu diesem Update achten. Sie zeigen den aktuellsten Bedarf an, der allerdings auch nur kurzfristig aktuell sein kann.
Wir danken jeder und jedem einzelnen, die/der sich engagiert! Ihr seid einfach Klasse. Wir freuen uns über so viel Menschlichkeit! Lasst nicht locker! DANKE

***ENGLISH*** UPDATE AND INFO FOR VOLUNTEERS***ENGLISH***
We at Border Crossing Spielfeld are grassroot initiatives from Mureck, Ehrenhausen and Spielfeld. We are providing activists with up-to-date information to enable you to get active on the ground.

VOLUNTEERING in SPIELFELD
Access to Spielfeld border crossing is (usually) only permitted to volunteers who have registered in advance.
How to get there: Take highway exit ‘Spielfeld’. Go left at the round-about. There is a police check point where you will be asked if you are registered before entering. Go straight for approximately 1 km. The transit area is to your left. You will find RC headquarters, kitchen and food distribution point at the left rear section of the area.

REGISTERING OPTIONS:
For people residing outside Austria we suggest registering option 2 and 3.
1) TEAM ÖSTERREICH/RED CROSS
Only possible for people who have their residency in Austria. Registering includes insurance. It is possible to register for 6 hour shifts or for shorter ones.
https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Anmeldung für die Schicht: https://helfen.st.roteskreuz.at/
2) MOBILE KITCHEN of the association TWO. No residency in Austria required.
https://www.facebook.com/two.austria/?fref=ts.
Please register until 8pm for the day after at:
https://sites.google.com/…/mobile-ku…/kuechenhilfe-spielfeld
You have to put your name on the doodle-calender AND send an e-mail to two.helfer@gmail.com. Please insert the following data into the e-mail headline: full name, the date you want to volunteer, day or night (i.e. Angela Davis, 04 november, night); please put your phone number into the email as well. The association will pass on your name to the police so you will be allowed to pass at the check point. Please send data within 8pm latest for the day after.
3) CARITAS: No residency in Austria required.
https://caritas-steiermark.doodle.com/poll/bxkckdmidinbgags

VOLUNTEERING in BAD RADKERSBURG
In Bad Radkersburg until now, no one ahad to stay over night. Please register with Team Österreich/Red Cross: https://www.teamoesterreich.at/cv/tomReg.jsf
Contact: Sandra Schober (Red Cross). The transit area is right at the border crossing (white tents, blue containter).

VOLUNTEERING in SENTILJ CAMP (SLO)
Access to the camp in Sentilj (300 meters south of the border) is only possible after registering with the NGO Slovenska filantropija:
http://www.filantropija.org/pomoc-na-terenu/
Contact: Primož Jamšek
Office: 00386 /0/ 1/ 433 40 24 Cell phone 041 654 726 primoz.jamsek@filantropija.org
Contact in Sentilj: Bojana Kos Grabar 00386-51-314208
How to get there:
Use the highway border crossing to Slovenia, take the first exit after a very short drive, go right and right and stop at the police blockade.

SHARE A CAR from Graz to Spielfeld in this group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/921685617907179/923382334404174/?notif_t=group_activity

SOLIDARITY WITH REFUGEES everywhere
Try to get in touch with people wherever you meet them. The possiblity to use internet (via a Hot spot created by your phone), or to make a phone call, or to charge the phone, a little chat, a hug can sometimes be more supportive than a chocolate bar…

DONATIONS:
+++There is no donation drop-off at the border crossing in Spielfeld. Please read updates carefully before you travel to Spielfeld. The situation on the ground is changing every day+++
DONATION DROP-OFFS:
1) WAGNA (10 km north of Spielfeld)
Marburgerstrasse 109, 8435 Wagna
Mo. – Fr. v. 5-7pm
und this saturday 07.11 from 11 am to 1 pm
Goods needed:
– Ginger, red lentils, fresh vegetables, canned tomatoes (cubes and sauce)
– Plastic cups and soup bowls, spoons
– Tea bags (black tea), blankets, sleeping pads
– Gas containers for cooking : 10 kg or 12 kg
2) KARITAS MARIBOR (SLO)
Ljubljanska Ulica 23
2000 Maribor
Mo-Fr. 7-15 Uhr
+398659 080 365
http://www.karitasmb.si/2_vsebina.php?id_menu=11
3) BORDER CROSSING RADKERSBURG (AT)
For the time being only baby clothes are being collected at the border crossing. Please assort and pack them beforehand.
Drop off is shortly before the border crossing to Slovenia to your right (white tents, blue container).
4) SENTILJ CAMP – 3000 m south of the AT-SLO border
How to get there: Use the highway border crossing to Slovenia, take the first exit after a very short drive, go right and right and stop at the police blockade.
We receive different information as to wether it is possible to drop of donations there. Some volunteers succeded, unders were redirected to Karitas in Maribor (only a 30 km drive).

USEFUL DONATION ITEMS
1) BABY-PACKAGES: Baby-Cream for sore skin, baby-bottles, tissues, baby-powder-milk (only class PRE), plastic or wooden spoons, baby food. **if you fix the bags yourself it is easier for us to distribute them** „smile“-Emoticon
3) CLOTHES: Warm trousers, winter-jackets, socks for men women and children; Winter shoes (no heels). Assort and pack clothes and write content on the package please.

NEWS
Up-to-date info in German: http://www.kleinezeitung.at/s/steiermark/index.do

PRIVATE TRANSPORT
We frequently hear about people picking up families from the street, giving them a ride to the station or taking them home for a rest, a shower and a meal. Anyhow, we do not constantly see people walking at the main road B67. That is why, for the time being, organized convois don’t seem to make sense. We will keep you updated on bigger numbers of people on the move.
Our greatfulness goes out to everyone how is getting active in whatever way! You are great! Don’t give in! THANKS

Border Crossing Spielfeld