no matter why people are leaving their own regions, whether they flee from the murderous bombing of the war alliance or from the republican guards of the Iraqui regime, they do have a right to be internationally recognised as refugees. They must be free to decide whether they want to return to that country, or whether they wish to call on their right to live in another country.

Open the borders, now!

Since more than 30 hours, Iraq is being openly bombarded. American and also british army units are flying attacks, and fire military - and as always also civilian - targets in Iraq.
A regime is to be brought down, and the people suffering under it are to be liberated. The same plan as 1991? The regime took revenge for a lost war on its own population - a massaker that cost the lives of thousands of people. People who dared to stand up against the regime after the bombing. People who are not needed by the Iraqui state, who are not needed in the not very labour intensive oil industry, who can be killed at will. "Collateral damages" is the term the other side uses, the war alliance, to describe that thousands of people are loosing their lives, because international politics has failed once again.

As in 1991, the escape routes people might use are cut off. At the northern borders, the Turkish army has deployed forces with the order to basically stop refugees to cross the border. The border to Iraq is full of mines. International organisations are contributing to the organisation of "local aid". It's only objective is to prevent people from a real escape, so that they loose their right to be internationally recognised as refugees of war as early as now.
The UNHCR estimated that at the beginning of war, up to 1,5 million people are going to be driven out of Iraq. The preparations for this scenario are still restricted to doing everything to stop people from fleeing.

During the mass escapes 1991, nearly 2 million people tried to leave the country at the northern border alone. The war had already stopped, and the international public was busy with other things. But the Iraqi regime took revenge against the fleeing people, who had dared to stand up against the fascist power in the country.

No matter who people are fleeing, whether they flee from the murderous bombing of the war alliance or from the republican guards of the Iraqui regime, they do have a right to be internationally recognised as refugees. They must be free to decide whether they want to return to that country, or whether they wish to call on their right to live in another country.

While the governments of Austria, France and Germany play up as peace powers, while they continue the war of the EU against the US together with the "peace movement", increasingly less refugees from the immediately affected region are being recognised.
The borders around Iraq need to be opened immediately. People need the possibility to flee from the war actions of the alliance and the revenge of the regime. Until this is happening, the lip service of an Austrian government "to be prepared for the situation" (quote Strasser) are nothing but cruel cynicism that can hardly be topped.

We demand from these governments that they immediately accept 100% of all refugees who come from Iraq, and to give them full support. It is the absolute right of these people to decide for themselves wether they want to return to a completely bombed down Iraq, or to stay here, or continue their voyage. We demand from the Austrian government to fully support each plight for support, every application for asylum, and every single wish of these people.

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