english translation below:
https://www.humanite.fr/asile-menton-coups-de-bottes-et-vol…
Asile. À Menton, coups de bottes et vols de papiers pour les exilés
Mercredi, 4 Septembre, 2019
Emilien Urbach
Un rapport publié par un groupe d’observateurs à la frontière franco-italienne dénonce à nouveau de graves atteintes à la dignité et aux droits des étrangers par la police française.
Vols, violences, humiliations, fausses déclarations, violations du droit international… Voilà des pratiques policières maintes fois dénoncées par les soutiens aux exilés, à la frontière franco-italienne azuréenne. Un nouveau rapport d’observation adressé aux membres de la Coordination des actions à la frontière franco-italienne pour les personnes migrantes (Caffim) par un groupe de bénévoles postés, tout au long du mois d’août, côté italien, semble indiquer que ces exactions sont toujours d’actualité.
Ces citoyens solidaires affirment qu’au cours du mois dernier, 1 072 personnes ont été refoulées par la police aux frontières (PAF) de Menton (Alpes-Maritimes). Parmi elles, ils ont décompté 40 mineurs isolés, 20 femmes et deux enfants. « Mais le nombre d’exilés concernés pourrait être bien plus élevé, confie une des bénévoles jointe au téléphone. Nous avons collaboré cet été avec un collectif italien qui n’a pas forcément pris note de tout ce qu’il a pu, pour sa part, observer. »
Dimanche, un jeune de 16 ans a été tabassé après avoir insisté sur son âge
Au-delà des chiffres, le rapport indique que « beaucoup de personnes rencontrées étaient en Italie seulement depuis quelques jours » et que la plupart de ceux passés par la Slovénie « présentaient d’impressionnantes lésions aux pieds à cause d’infections liées à la marche ». Outre l’urgence médicale révélée, ce constat indique qu’un grand nombre de ces candidats au statut de refugié en France n’avaient encore effectué aucune démarche en Italie, qu’ils ne tombaient, par conséquent, pas sous le coup des accords de Dublin et qu’ils n’auraient donc dû rencontrer aucune entrave à leur demande d’asile.
« Au contraire, la PAF refuse systématiquement de leur donner accès à leur droit, continue la bénévole azuréenne. C’est aussi le cas pour les mineurs isolés. Ceux qui insistent sont battus avant d’être expulsés. » Un jeune de 16 ans aurait eu à subir ce traitement, ce dimanche encore. Tabassé après avoir insisté sur son âge et son droit à une prise en charge par l’Aide sociale à l’enfance, il aurait été renvoyé en Italie, puis raccompagné en France par la police italienne parce qu’en effet mineur et donc sous la responsabilité de ceux qui venaient de l’expulser.
À plusieurs reprises, le tribunal administratif de Nice a condamné les autorités dans le même genre d’affaires. En juin 2018, le contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté jugeait déjà « indignes » les pratiques de la PAF. Mais rien n’y fait. « Depuis 2015, à Menton, nous sommes quotidiennement alertés sur des cas de violences policières et de non-respect des procédures du droit d’asile, commente Émilie Pesselier, de l’Association nationale d’assistance aux frontières pour les étrangers (Anafé). Mais c’est très compliqué de saisir la justice. Il faudrait pouvoir réagir immédiatement face à des agissements expéditifs. La justice a un autre rythme. Nous n’avons, par exemple, toujours aucune réponse des juges du Briançonnais saisis il y a plu-sieurs mois dans des affaires similaires. »
Les vols de téléphones, de papiers d’identité et de récépissés de demande d’asile perpétrés par des policiers français et dénoncés dans ce nouveau rapport viendront donc s’ajouter à la longue liste des droits des étrangers bafoués. Tout comme les coups de bottes, les gazages arbitraires, les privations de nourriture, les refus de prise en charge sanitaire de femmes enceintes ou de personnes en difficulté… Toutes reléguées au rang d’indésirables.
émilien Urbach
Kicks and theft of papers for migrants in Menton.
A report published by a group of people observing the french-italian border denounces once more
the violation of the dignity and rights of foreigners by the prench police.
These solidary citizens claim that over the last month 1072 people have been pushed back by the
border police (PAF) of Menton. Amongst them, the group counted 40 unaccompanied minors, 20
women and two children. „But the number of the persons concerned could be much higher.“, states
one of the volunteers on the telephone.“We worked with an italian collective, who did not note
down everything they witnessed.“
On sunday, a 16-years-old was beaten after having insisted on his age
Besides the numbers, the report states that „ many people had only been in Italy for some days“ and
that some of those who passed by Slovenia „showed serious wounds on their feet caused by
infections, linked to their journey on foot.“ Apart from the revelation of a medical emergency, the
report indicates that a large number of refugees in France had not attempted any regularisation in
Italy in order not to come under the Dublin Regulation and therefore shouldn’t have met any
obstacle to their asylum request. „On the contrary, the PAF (french border police) refuses
systematically to give them access to their rights“, continues the volunteer. „This is also the case for
unaccompanied minors. Those who insist [on their rights] get beaten up before being pushed back.“
A 16-years-old is said to have suffered this treatment just last sunday. Beaten up after having
insisted on his age and his right to be taken in charge by the youth welfare, he was sent back to
Italy, then taken back to France by the italian police because he was, in fact, a minor and therefore
under the responsability of those who had just exiled him.
Several times the administrative court has condemned the authorities in these matters. In june 2018
the „contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté“ (french independent agency to survey the
conditions in places of imprisonment) declared the PAF’s practices „undignified“. „Since 2015
we’ve been alerted to cases of police violence and disrespect of the right of asylum in Menton“,
comments Émelie Pesselier. „But it is very complicated to take legal measures. You’d have to be
able to react immediately to events. The justice system has a different rhythm. For example, we still
have not had any response yet of judges from Briancon, charged with similar affaires several
months ago.“
The thefts of telephones, documents of identification and asylum requests comitted by the french
police which are denounced in this new report align to a long list of disregarded foreigners’ rights.
Just like the beatings, the arbitraty gassing, the food deprivations and the refusal of sanitary
treatment of pregnant women and people in special circumstances.
Theft, violence, humiliations, false declarations, violations of international law… these are the
practices of the police which again are denounced by those supporting the exiled at the french-
italian border. A new observation reportcovering the whole month of August, posted by a group of
volunteers and adressed to the members of „Caffim“ [coordination of actions for migrants at the
french-italian border], claims that these outrages are still current.
émilien Urbach
Ieri sera alla trasmissione L’aria che tira La7 si parla di Ventimiglia. Il confine come ostacolo per tutte le persone che necessitano di muoversi, dove la solidarietà viene criminalizzata in particolar modo dall’atteggiamento dell’amministrazione comunale.
Le responsabilità sono Locali, Italiane, Francesi ed Europee! 08.07.2019
This was a talk about the border in Ventimiglia, the border where solidarity is criminalised.
AYS is already a great source, and here they are painting a picture of Ventimiglia, including personal stories of guys from under the bridge, a description of work that independent and organized volunteers are doing, the preying behavior of police, and the absolute fuckery that is the Red Cross camp. Also the local administration’s complete disregard for human rights or wellbeing. Cheers, Medium.
/“What is the job of the administration? What are they doing?” I ask. She smiles, “They do nothing”. They did not even put portable toilets. In 2016, they put a ban to distribute food to migrants, not even packed food!/
…
*they call Kesha Niya an NGO, which isn’t right, but hey – thanks for the PR
Love and Peace!
https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-special-the-sea-is-raging-today-23b571d918f0
Good evening friends, a little update about how the situation in Ventimiglia is at the moment. 08.02.2018
There are around 250 people living in the horrible conditions under the bridge, most of the people thankfully sleep in tents but there has been a massive growth in woman and children. To be honest, we’re having a bit of a hard time with this situation because are not professionals and there are a lot more things to think about with so much (pregnant) woman and very young kids under the bridge.
This is also at the same time a question for everyone who has experience with this kind of situations, woman center’s, children center’s pregnant woman as refugees. if you have any advice or are willing to come and help.
One last thing. The red cross camp refuses to shelter lone underage girls, we have no idea why or what to do with this.
http://www.msf.org/en/article/italy-migrants-and-refugees-margins-society
‘Migrants are more profitable than drugs’: how the mafia infiltrated Italy’s asylum system
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/01/migrants-more-profitable-than-drugs-how-mafia-infiltrated-italy-asylum-system
We are again shocked, a kitchen brother from the old Camp De La Linière, Grande-Synthe where we lifed and worked with him together for one year in 2016, got hit by a train and lost both legs in north France, Calais/Dunkirk.
Alan Yalnz , Brakam, our mind is with you!
xoshin dawey, we love you!!!
The Kesha Niya Crew!
We are shattered by this news,
the new year starts also in Ventimiglia with a dead human, a 28 year old guy from Gambia was found dead on the roof of a train from Ventimiglia to Menton, Nice. 14.02.2018
We should not fill to remaind ourselfs, what border policies really mean!
http://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/un-migrant-gambien-retrouve-sur-le-toit-dun-train-a-menton-199372
The international Human Rights Day is just 4 days ago (10.12.17), here is a good report on illegal push-backs and systematic police violence at the external borders of the EU. At least 857 people including many under-aged have suffered beating, kicking, electric shocks and even dog bites, were deprived of their belongings including their clothes, and forced to wait for hours at below-zero temperatures. More info can be found directly on the website:
https://www.borderviolence.eu/
The right to mobility: a comparative analysis between the Legal and Movement Info-point Ventimiglia (Italy) and the Migration Office Curicó (Chile)
http://www.meltingpot.org/The-right-to-mobility-a-comparative-analysis-between-the.html#.WgmqsWjWzIU
This is the report about the event for which 9 of our volunteers were arrested. We decided to present ourselves in Ventimiglia at a gazebo info point of Casapound, a group known for professing anti-immigrant and other far right messages.
For being there nonviolently with just a few banners and musical instruments, all 9 of us were arrested, fingerprinted and photographed into the system.
Since this, we have noticed in increase in ‘routine control’ – it seems that volunteers are being profiled and harassed by police, perhaps to discourage people from wanting to help in the refugee crisis or to create a hyperparanoia to demonstrate the power of the police against the power of civilians, even for small peaceful gestures…
english below in this article.
http://parolesulconfine.com/casapound-not-welcome-i-fascisti-scortati-a-ventimiglia/
The name Ventimiglia means ’twenty miles’ in Italian, referring to the town’s distance from the French border.
The current state response on both Italian and French sides disregard the principles of human rights!
Have a look on this report from Refugee Rights Data Project:
http://refugeerights.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/RRDP_InDangerousTransit.pdf
Unacceptable living conditions for migrants stranded on the Franco-Italian border – 03.08.2017
No Border – No Problem!
Overthefortress: Border deaths in Ventimiglia – 25.07.2017
Refugees on the Pass of Death between Italy and France – 26.07.2017
blaze devastates Grand-Synthe refugee camp on Monday night – 10.04.2017
A large fire has devastated the Grande-Synthe refugee camp, 10 people got injured 600 people are missing.
Ein paar Gedanken zum Camp von Relief on Spot – 04.01.2017
Global Justice Now – 19.12.2016
From the Jungle to Kesha Niya – Winter in France’s refugee camps
Are you Serious – 31.08.2016
Another cry for help from Dunkirk camp
Kedistan – 26.06.2016
“Kesha Niya Kitchen” a besoin d’aide
Refugee Roads – 17.06.2016
Cooking in the Grande-Synthe refugee camp
Are you Serious – 17.06.2016
Kesha Niya Kitchen needs our help!
Kesha Niya Kitchen is a community kitchen run by volunteers and refugees in the refugee Camp de la Liniere in Grande Synthe, Northern France.