CHAIN OF BORDERCAMPS IN FORTRESS EUROPE - July 2001

Chain of Bordercamps in fortress Europe

"Freedom of movement" is the main goal of the six border camps this year. The Noborder network links anti-racist networks across Europe. They declare that "no-one is illegal" and strive for a globalisation based on the needs of people, not profit.

Bordercamps are spaces for political, cultural and media activities, for local and international anti-racists and immigrants to gather and meet, discuss and connect, exchange experiences and to do actions.

Goods and capital are flowing with great ease around the globe, pushing a globalisation based on corporations with their hunger for more and cheaper labour, legal as well as illegalised. Migration of people, however, is tightly controlled by the EU and US border regime, which causes thousands of deaths every year. Bordercamps are designed as interventions into this regime.

This summer, camps take place at the edges of growing fortress Europe in Poland/Belorus and Slovenia/Croatia/Hungaria; between Spain and Africa and at internal borders like Frankfurt airport (G) and Campsfield detention center (UK). Another camp is at the Mexican-Californian border, and the G8 protests in Genoa are linked up through a day of immigration on July 19th. All the camps are connected with each other and global protests through media projects like the "J7 Junction", and various Caravans.


Tarifa, Spain, 1-8 July
Situated at the Straits of Gibraltar, Tarifa (Spain) is part of the strongly policed water-border between Africa and Europe, where hundreds of people try to enter the fortress every week in little boats. Many are sent back, and many drown in the sea. Some make it into Europe, often supported by local networks. The young Spanish network "ninguna es illegal" organised the bordercamp, linking up anti-racists, immigrants and support groups.
[Ninguna persona es illegal | noborder page on Tarifa]


Petisovci (Lendava), Slovenia, 4-8 July
Lendava is an old hapsburgian Spa in Slovakia, close to the borders with Croatia and Hungary - a border-ridden landscape where it's obvious that borders are not naturally fixed. Here, people from Eastern Europe are trying to enter the West - but the EU borderregime is tightening its grip on its outposts. Action included a visit at the Detention Centre Siska in Ljubljana.
[ | noborder page on Petisovci ]


Krynki (Bialystok), Poland, 5-12 July
The Polish-Belorus border is seeing a stricter border regime forced by the EU. People find it increasingly difficult to cross the border for economic purposes, migration or just to see friends. Organizers of the border camp have faced repression and intimidation from the Polish police and the UOP (the Polish secret service) during the preparation of the camp.

Report from Poland (July 16)

[ Deportacje stop! (Polish) | Report from Poland | noborder page on Krynki]


Campsfield, UK, 19-22 July
Since the detention center at Campsfield was opened 7 years ago, the campaign to close campsfield has been active. A protest camp was kept going for three weeks in may-july. To coincide with the G8 protests in Genoa, activists and campaigners are setting up a noborder camp the coming weekend.
[ Womble call | Program and info]


Genoa, Italy, 19-24 July
The G8 protests include a day of migration on July 19. Videos and reports from the previous bordercamps will be made available.
[ noborder page on Genoa ]


Frankfurt airport, Germany, 29 July - 5 August
After four previous bordercamps at outside borders, the german anti-racist network Kein Mensch ist illegal has moved to Frankfurt airport as an internal border, where many immigrants are deported by plane. This bordercamp points to the omnipresence of borders for people who don't have the right passports.
[ noborder page on Frankfurt ]


There is also another border camp at the US-Mexican border.

NoBorder website