Turin: Call for three days of discussion and struggle against borders and concentration system

via Macerie

BURN BORDERS EVERY DAY

THREE DAYS OF DISCUSSION AND STRUGGLE

From Idomeni to Calais, images of people trying to pass borders more and more insuperable get to us. At the same time the European states are reorganising the internal management of immigration through new sorting facilities, and heightening control in administrative detention centres.

For these reasons it’s necessary to gather and discuss about latest evolutions.

These meetings want to raise critical points, both theoretical and practical, and focus on difficulties that came up during the latest struggles, in Italy but not only, with migrants and immigrants. Although we are aware of the difficulty and complexity of this purpose, we think it’s indispensable to have an open debate not dictated by movement commitments and due dates. Essentially, we feel the urge to restart a discussion about these specific matters, without the obligation to reach a conclusion on analysis and propositions, but rather a prolific playing field where to find ourselves in the coming months.

Aim of the first two days:

– Have a debate with several militants regarding international migration politics related to flow of migrants and closure of the borders.

– Take stock of evolution of reception and rejection system implemented in Italy starting from Hotspot, the so called “secondary care” (accoglienza secondaria), to sectioning in CIE.

– Have a debate with militants involved in various activities against immigration management, as struggle against CIE and against borders.

– Have a debate with militants coming from abroad who stood by refugees and asylum-seekers in struggles.

We would like to concentrate the discussion on the following points:

– The arrival of large groups of immigrants foreseen in the next months can produce again a situation like the one occurred last year in Ventimiglia, where hundreds of displaced people are gathering. The closure of Austrian border is blocking the path toward Northern-Europe, probably redirecting people coming from Balkans and Southern-Europe to the north-west border. How to plan an intervention that takes into account practical circumstances that happen in these situations? How to carry on an active solidarity with migrants without falling in aid mechanism but rather restarting the course of struggle and complicity? What limits and what possibilities are these situations of emergency offering?

– The enormous flow of migrants goes through newly-opened Hotspot, that acts like filters from which the destination of each migrants is decided, and then sorted, in “secondary care” structures, as Sprar, Cas and Cara. Many years have passed since these places were created but lately they are spreading in order to face a bigger number of asylum-seekers. The excuse of giving shelter, used to justify the existence of these structures, covers up a complex net of tenders where companies and cooperatives cash in huge profits in supplying services. The “parking lot” offered to asylum-seekers forces many of them to undergo a course of integration, real or less real, built on educational activities and exploitation of labour. Besides these official courses, secondary care structures represent in many cases a source of low-cost workers employed in agriculture, construction or restaurant industry, where gang-master system has considerable scope for making money. What are the possibilities to take actions against cooperatives, NGOs, associations or institutions that manage these structures? How to intercept moment of conflict provoked by migrants and which ways to take part in them? How to stand against welcoming propaganda, highlighting its inconsistencies and its purpose of control?

– CIE is the last transit place for immigrants waiting rejection, captured during police raids or coming from prisons, going ashore or crossing borders. Even if the management of CIEs changes depending on their location and supervisors, in the last years such structures tend to become more similar to prisons: the internal repression exhibited with intense control, isolation cells, requisition of cell phones used to communicate with the outside world, prove this theory. Yet still, uprising and escaping of prisoners show a clear example of how to get rid of those places. Management of services is a stable source of profit for companies and institutions, that sometimes work both in CIE and secondary care structures. How to support uprisings of prisoners from outside and how to carry on the struggle against CIEs autonomously?

Event calendar:

Friday, May 20th

19:00, debate on management and control systems of immigration. From rejection to welcoming.

Saturday, May 21st

10:00, meeting in Piazza della Repubblica, on Corso Giulio Cesare side.

14:30, description of various experiences in the struggle beside sans-papiers. There will be a speech by militants from France.

19:30, discussion on borders locking and experiences from the last year.

Sunday, May 22nd

16:00, meeting in front of CIE, Corso Brunelleschi.

In order to make anyone aware of the different situations we will speak about, you can send to us, before the events, some contribution to the e-mail address:
in-contro-frontiere@riseup.net

The contributions will be published on Macerie

Debates will take place at Asilo occupato in via Alessandria 12, Torino.
Bring your sleeping bag.