Transnational solidarity against war and racism

Open the borders! Freedom of movement and safe passage instead of a murderous border regime!
Solidarity with all refugees at the Turkish-Greek border and everywhere!

We call for loud and determined protest against the brutal and murderous closing of the borders between the EU and Turkey against refugees.

Since February 27th, thousands of people have set off towards the Turkish-Greek border after it was announced that migrants wanting to reach Europe would no longer be stopped from doing so by Turkish border guards. This announcement by the Turkish administration was made after the death of 33 Turkish soldiers in the area of Idlib. There, the escalation of the conflict has led to a rapid rise in the number of dead civilians every day.

People from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other African countries arrived at the border areas, but Greek police prevented them from passing the border by using tear gas, flash grenades and live ammunition. Migrants and refugees are stranded in the undefined area between the two states. Some of those who arrived at the land border were advised by Greek authorities to take the sea route despite the dangerous weather situation.

The Greek government has decided on an even more inhuman asylum law. Its plan is that all new refugees arriving in Greece will be taken into custody and that the country will not be accepting any new asylum requests for a month. In the last few days conflicts with people on the islands of Chios and Lesbos have arisen, as new detention centers are to be built there. Residents are protesting against the worsening of their living conditions and those of the refugees there. At the same time, the Greek government is spreading fear and hate by fabricating a myth about the invasion of so-called “illegals”. Fascist groups are attacking refugees and their supporters on Lesbos with the active help of the Greek police and are hindering boats from landing.
The situation in Greece is the result of the refugee policies of the EU, which violate human rights, began with the “Turkey Deal”, and enable brutal push-backs at the Croatian border. These policies have continued at the Turkish-Greek border with the engagement of Frontex and police forces from other member states.

Austria too is sending police forces to the Turkish-Greek border and is thus continuing the asylum-preventing policies of the last few years. The closing of the so-called “Balkan route”, in which Chancellor Kurz still takes pride, has led to unbearable conditions in Greece and Bosnia. These policies are being continued by the ÖVP-Green coalition under the cynical slogan, “Protecting the Climate and Borders”. The EU operation “Sophia” for supporting rescue at sea was stopped not least by the Austrian refusal to provide any humanitarian help. At the same time, refugees who did manage to arrive in Austria are being deported to countries where their lives are under threat, such as Afghanistan and Nigeria, after they are refused asylum in often arbitrary proceedings. Now, independent legal advice centers for refugees will be abolished and an agency under the authority of the interior ministry set up to maintain some semblance of the rule of law.
We stand in solidarity with all refugees who exercise their right to move freely!

Borders kill! Open the borders!
Stop the war against refugees and migrants!
Transnational solidarity against racism and war!
For a world without borders, exploitation and exile!