In the last week Roma camps in Paris, Hellemmes (Nord), Villeurbanne and Vaulx-en-Velin (Rhône) have all been evicted by the authorities. Remaining Roma camps are on high alert. The European Commission yesterday told France that it is monitoring these evictions “to ensure that European rules are respected”. According to Medicins du Monde, there are currently around 15,000 Roma in France. This figure has stayed the same for the last 15 years, despite waves of evictions and deportations.
Justice for Noureddin! Demo at French Embassy in Brussels, 01/08/12
Activists demanding that the French authorities open an enquiry into the suspicious death of a migrant in Calais occupied the scaffolding of the French Embassy in Brussels this morning (01/08/12). They held banners proclaiming ‘Justice for Noureddin’ and ‘Calais everywhere, justice nowhere’. There were 8 arrests but all were later released without charge. Watch a short video of the action here.
Protest camp in front of IND in Den Bosch, Netherlands
Suspicious death of migrant in Calais, 07/07/12
In the early hours of Saturday 7th July Noureddin Mohamed, a Sudanese man who had been in Calais for four years, was found dead in a canal near the sub-prefecture of the town.
Police state that Noureddin stole a mobile phone, was then pursued and jumped into the canal where he drowned. Family, friends and activists on the ground do not believe this version of events and are demanding that the police open an enquiry.
You can read more, in English, on the Calais Migrant Solidarity website.
Revolt and escapees at Lesquin CRA, 08/06/12
On Friday 8th June a revolt took place at Lesquin detention centre near Lille following an confrontation with police. Several detainees smashed some reinforced glass with the leg of a metal bed, and two managed to escape from the centre.
The following Monday four detainees appeared in court, and were each condemned to a 6 month suspended sentence.
European march of sans-papiers, 2nd June – 2nd July
On Saturday 2nd June over 100 sans-papiers gathered in Brussels for the first day of a month-long march across Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, ending on Monday 2nd July in Strasbourg. The march is demanding freedom of movement and settlement, you can follow its progress (in French) here.
Young migrant stabbed to death in Ouistreham, Normandy, 16/05/12
A young “Albanian, Afghan or Palestinian” migrant aged about 20 was stabbed to death last Wednesday 16th May in Ouistreham, in Basse-Normandie, reports France 3.
His body was recovered on Wednesday evening on a dual carriageway in Ouistreham. According to initial enquiries, he was stabbed several times when he tried to board an HGV parked in a lorry park which was due to go to Portsmouth.
Gendarmes have arrested two individuals suspected of being involved in the murder. The investigators suspect the murder was the result of a disagreement between migrants or with a trafficker.
Airport demo to stop deportations to Afghanistan, 13/05/12
This Sunday at 6.15pm Belgium is due to deport a number of Afghanis on a Turkish airlines flight from Zaventum airport to Istanbul. Campaigners are calling for individuals, associations, journalists and politicians to gather at the airport at 4.15pm to speak to passengers and staff and try and stop the deportations.
Demo against asylum profiteers in Bern, 05/05/12
Yesterday, Saturday 5th May, 300 people demonstrated in Bern against an underground asylum lager (camp) run by the private company ORS Services AG. 160 asylum seekers are living there in inhumane condition with 40 people sharing a room, with no money and no cooking facilities. The organising commitee, which includes people from other lagers in the canton (region) of Bern who have already protested against the conditions they have to live in, promised that will be the first of many demonstrations against asylum profiteers. See photos and a report (n German) here.
UMP office occupied by sans-papiers in Lille, 02/05/12
At 9.30am this morning (02/05/12) around 70 sans-papiers occupied a UMP office in Lille, reports La Voix du Nord . They were protesting against “the stigmatisation of sans-papiers and immigration in the discourse of Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign”, and demanded “the regularisation of the sans-papiers who were arrested during the previous occupation of the UMP offices in Lille”. Following negotiations with the police, the occupiers left the offices at 11am, and marched towards the city centre. There were no arrests.