Migrant Hunger Strike Update

I posted last week about two hunger strikes. One in the country’s prisons which has now ended with some positive results.
The other is ongoing in Hania (also written Chania) in Crete where a group of migrants are protesting their treatment here and are trying to obtain legal status. Here is a the first public statement from the group:

We are migrants, members of Crete Forum of Immigrants, living in Greece. We entered the country illegally, as the majority of immigrants do, since the political and institutional regime in Greece does not allow people seeking a better life in Greece to stay legally there, in the country, that is, where they live, work, and raise their children. Since we were eligible to do so, we applied for residence permits in compliance with the law currently in effect; however, residence permits were denied to us, on the pretext that our passport had been issued after 2004, although we had applied for it at our respective countries of origin embassies in Athens long before 2004. We then followed the legal process of applying for the cancellation of this reject decision in the Greek courts, but our demand was rejected all the same. Each one of us paid thousands of Euros along this process. Many cases are yet to stand a trial, and this delay forces us into “clandestine” status. For the police authorities, none of our documents has any validity, so that the prospect of finding ourselves into detention rooms or deported is extremely likely, since this has already happened for people like us. Existing migration policies and laws clearly aim at our marginalization, promoting ignorance not only of the problems we deal with, but also of our social existence as a whole. Faced with that, we decided to proceed in drastic ways and raise awareness around our issues and difficulties.
We claim the right in life and work under decent conditions. For a migration policy that will guarantee the legalization of all migrants living in Greece and a meaningful integration of them in the Greek society:

It is vital that the injustice of us being held “hostages” within an unfair legal status, cease. The current regime either excludes us from legalization processes, or threatens us with “legalization” in the terms of a Fortress Europe.

It is vital that the renewal of residence permits is disconnected from the possession of a certain number of revenue stamps. This is extremely unfair for migrant workers, for whom informal labor, with no insurance whatsoever, is the rule and the only option. This regulation forces us into buying extra revenue stamps with their cost burdening exclusively on the migrant migrant worker’s shoulders.

It is vital that the right to family unification is disconnected from proving a certain – high – annual income, since this requirement forces us into vouching virtual incomes from rural jobs – and into paying high taxation.

It is vital that the cost for the residence permit issue fees declines, and corresponds to the real cost of the bureaucratic process.

It is vital that municipalities employ more people to work in the issuing and renewal of residence permits. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that the essential information for applying is not available in the migrants’ own languages. The Forum of Migrants of Crete has long before pledged to assist Municipalities in making this possible.

It is vital that the detention and deportation of minors ceases.

It is vital that all children born in Greece are allowed to be registered in municipality tolls, obtain certificates of birth, and be granted Greek citizenship – as it happens in the rest EU states.

It is vital that international human rights conventions and treaties are respected in Greece.

We demand that residence permits are issued immediately for all those who are eligible for them according to the law (hundreds of migrants in Chania alone). This could be done either through a common sense interpretation of the existing law, or through a reformation and broadening of the acceptable ways for proving entry in the country.

We make an appeal for active and daily support and solidarity to all migrants living in Chania and the rest of Greece, to all democratic and aware Greek fellow-citizens. We want all society on our side. We need it. We expect support from political parties and members of parliament, municipalities and prefectures, Labour Union Centers and any trade union and scientific association. We ask for the support of political and cultural collectives and societies in Chania, the rest of the country and abroad, because we know that our struggle concerns everyone.
Because we know that what threatens the wider society is racism, oppression, exclusion and discrimination, not us.

Here is an account of their first ten days. I ask anyone who has a blog, website or any forum to re-post this or just post the link in support of the people involved in this hunger strike. Although, the action is extreme, it seems as though this is the only way to get the attention of the authorities. Many hundreds of ordinary citizens and the alternative media are already standing in support (as you will read). Thank you.

I have left the text uncorrected but there are a couple of spelling mistakes that could lead to misunderstanding. In the first paragraph “major” should read “Mayor”. In the second, I believe “decerebrates” should read “degenerates”. The rest of the minor errors do not affect the reading.

Tuesday, 11 November 2008.

At 5 am the hunger strike begins, 15 migrants participate. Since that moment, the struggle receives support from hundreds of people, Greek and Migrants. Their presence is impressive. The small camping of the tents where the hunger strikers are to spend the hunger strike days is set up next to the entrance of the town’s city hall. A sound system is also there, and the migrants make the best use of it virtually singing in Arabic the demands of their struggle. The major has already alerted the police authorities, although he is aware that the 9/10 migrants are “sans papiers”: he is already guilty to our eyes of consenting actively to any detention and/or deportation the hunger strikers might be subjected to. Cops and officer-cops check out regularly the situation but do not intervene.

During the next night, some decerebrates and self-proclaimed “nationalists – racists”, on motor-bikes and big ideas for themselves, assault the hunger strikers with empty glass bottles. One of the motorbikes is halted by the hunger strike’s picketers…

Thursday, 13 November 2008.

A grand demonstration takes place in Hania city centre to accompany the hunger strikers to the new setting of their struggle’s camp, in front of the Public Economic Agency facilities. The demonstrators have virtually moved the camp by lifting it on their hands (see photos)! The change of place is due to Mayor Virvidakis, a real prick, who has been very busy in machinating ways to put the migrants in the added risk of immediate detention/deportation danger – as if the hunger strike hadn’t been enough. This change of place however means no retreat for the hunger strike. On the contrary, the new setting is in the very centre of the city’s economic, commercial and administrative life (lots of shops and public services there). Not to mention that just on the other side of the road (Tzanakaki street) there is an occupied Crete Polytechnic University building, which can boost the whole thing both creatively and organizationally. The hunger strikers said “…we leave from the town hall’s entrance with our heads upright. We do so out of respect for the law, not for the mayor and his opinions. Fighters never leave the battle. They move to new positions, though, just like lions change their den”.

More and more local associations, societies, trade unions, collectives and communities express their solidatity with the hanger strikers, hundreds of signatures have already been collected for the hunger strike’s pettion.

On the same day, the hunger strikers issue a press release to express their solidarity with the then ongoing big hunger strike across the country’s prisons. In terms of participants’ numbers and organization this has been the most important prison hunger strike so far, forcing the Minister of Justice to proclaim a new draft of law, partially statisfying the hunger strikers demand. The Hania hunger strikers’ support was the natural thing to do, not least because many – if not most – of the prison hunger strikers were migrants – the number of imprisoned migrants, in Greece as anywhere, is disproportionally large.

Monday, 17 November 2008.  

The annual demonstration commemorating the student and popular revolt against the military junta (1973), became in Hania a mass manifestation of solidarity with the hunger strikers (both migrants and prisoners). About 800 hundred people supported the struggle.

The hunger strikers’ health already deteriorates, the first signs of exhaustion are apparent. No sign from the government of the Greek Polity though. Local MPs of the opposition visit the hunger strikers and express their solidarity. The local Lawyers Bar issues an announcement, supporting the migrants’ lawful demands, and denouncing the unfairness they have been subjected to by authorities.

Wednesday, 19 November 2008.

The Hania city council becomes one more arena for the migrant’s struggle, with the opposition accusing the mayor for his hostile politics against the migrants. The mayor, whose authority is directly involded in the unfair interpretation of the law against the migrants has been attacked for his overall attitude and his dirty role in putting the hunger strikers in danger, ignoring the mass wave of support within his own municipality’s electorate. Of course, this is not just a local issue, but one that relates to core values and legal regulations in Greece and Europe as a whole. But resistance should also turn against local authorities that behave the way this mayor did, they are also responsible, as the Greek governemt is for remaining silent.

The hunger strikers demand now to have a meeting in person with the Minister of Interior, to make clear their determination and demands.

Thursday, 20 November 2008.
The first hunger striker in need of hospital aid is already tested by the hunger strike’s severe consequences. He fainted and was taken to the Hania hospital.

Technorati Tags: greece, migrants, solidarity, racism, exclusion