Stay here! Right of permanent residency!

In November 2006 the conference of the federal home secretaries will be held in Nürnberg. The refugee counsels of all federal states demand a liberal regulation concerning the right of residency. Such a resolution would guarantee a permanent right of residency for a lot of people who for many years have only been living in a state of toleration.

In order to avoid deportation of people belonging to this group before the regulation comes into effect, the home secretary of Berlin has already enacted a moratorium on deportation for the state of Berlin until the end of 2006. The city of Potsdam has decided alike – against the home secretary of the state of Brandenburg. There will be no deportation of families with underage children or single minors from the state of Berlin and the city of Potsdam if these people have been living in Germany in a state of toleration since June 2000 or longer.

All those who have been living in a precarious state of prolongued toleration with a permanent fear of deportation can feel releived for the moment.

We demand that the city of Cologne as well as all the other communities demonstrate their civil disobedience and join the resolution of Potsdam and Berlin, regardless of the federal government’s decision.

A first step in the right direction

Approximately 250.000 people are living in a state of toleration in Germany. A lot of them have been living here for already 10 years. They are constantly confronted with bondage and limitations: usually they are banned from working and education, are forced to live in council houses and receive reduced social welfare, restricted medical health care and are limited in their freedom of movement.

Furthermore hundreds of thousands live in Germany who do not even possess a state of toleration. They live in a state of illegality with no rights and support. Essential human rights such as medical care and the right of education are kept from these people.

In May 2006 the Social Forum of the European Union in Athens has therefore decided to arrange an international day for a campaign on October 7th.

The background is that in October 2006 will be the first anniversary of the terrible and inhuman events in Ceuta and Melilla where several hundred people died at the border fences of Fortress Europe and during the evacuation from there. Those people were on their way to a better future and met their death.

We call for a protest march in order to remind the events in Ceuta and Melilla and to demand an extensive regulation concerning the right of residency from the federal home secretaries’ conference.

l Right of Residency for everyone!

l Immediate stop of deportation!

l Shutdown of all deportation camps and prisons in Europe and everywhere else!

 

Saturday, October 7th

3:00pm demonstration, Rudolfplatz Köln

4:00pm manisfestation, Domplatte, Köln                  BACK