CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

The UNITED Refugee Campaign was launched during the UNITED Conference in Luxembourg (2/95), in response to growing concern for the high number of refugees who died trying to enter Fortress Europe. We have documented more than 2300 refugee deaths since January 1993.

From the start the campaign had 2 main elements:
- to prevent more deaths
- to lobby for the demands of the Basso-Tribunal, for humane asylum policy
(The Basso Tribunal was held in Berlin, December 1994, to investigate refugee policies and 'Fortress Europe').

Many refugee and human rights organisations, as well as members of European Parliament and national parliamentarians, joined the Campaign and are actively taking part.

A third element of the campaign is to raise awareness about refugees and their positive contribution to society. Wheter refugees have a chance to participate depends alo on the attitude of the host society. UNITED publishes an info leaflet, posters and postcards that can be used in awareness-raising campaigns.

With the slogan "Fortress Europe: No more deaths! Open Borders - Open Minds" (on 16/6/95) we organised a European-wide bombardement with protest faxes of the Interior Ministries of Germany, Great-Britain, France, Spain and Italy, at that time the countries with the most restrictive policy towards refugees. Dozens of other activities were organised all over Europe on this day to show solidarity with refugees.

In 1995, UNITED delegates were invited to various meetings at the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, where we had the chance to present the elements of the Campaign.

On 9/11/95 was the commemoration of "Kristallnacht", where antifascist, Jewish and refugee support organisations in 28 countries held hundreds of activities on the theme of refuge in Europe 1938-1995. This unique cooperation made a historic parallel between 1938 when Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany were refused entry into safe countries and today, when Fortress Europe prevents refugees from entering safe European countries.

Members of the UNITED network, having witnessed the horrible conditions in the detention centres of Ceuta (Spain/Morroco) and Györ (Hungary), decided at the UNITED Conference in Budapest (10/95) to start a research on detention centres in Europe, which is planned to be followed by special campaign activities.

In 1996 UNITED held a Conference on June 13-14 at the European Parliament to "Speak out for refugees' rights!" The aim was to organise an offensive for a "harmonisation of European asylum laws" on the basis of safe refuge under humanitarian conditions.

In 1997 regular press releases went out to the media on the topic of the still growing number of people dying as a result of the policies of Fortress Europe. At the international UNITED conference around the European Summit in Amsterdam "Speak out against racism!" the topic was again brought to the attention of politicians, the media and the European NGOs.

In 2001 the United Nations adopted 20 June as the global Refugee Day. UNITED uses this day to ask the attention of the media and policy makers for the fatal realities of "Fortress Europe". We ask attention especially for the root of the problem, which lies in restrictive migration and asylum policies. Politicians often only respond by taking action against the symptoms: against smugglers and traffickers.

In support of this campaign posters, stickers and brochures of the Basso-Tribunal have been distributed.

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UNITED for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Postbus 413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org, www.unitedagainstracism.org