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On 20.5.23, our group together with Border Forensics, International Women Space and Refugee Libya Emancipation participated in Sea-Watch’s congress that took place in Schloss Wahlsdorf, Luckenwalde. We showed a small part of our last bus tour film “Women moving against lagers and Racism” -due to the short time each group had for its input- as we went further talking about our group’s history, work, goals, achievements, and challenges. We followed the other groups’ work and history through their PowerPoints and film presentation, and we were also able to see and understand from a summary of the distress cases witnessed, the number of operations conducted, boats that were being spotted at sea etc. The participant from the Refugee Libya Emancipation conducted his input virtually and he shared in addition to his group’s input, how he survived the brutality routes as he was seeking refuge. After the input and a short break, we participated in the small discussion groups that were created for open discussions, questions and strategizing on how we can continue supporting one another to ensure the freedom of movement for all!
On 8th March 2023, at the invitation of die Grünen in Brandenburg, WiE & F joined their delegation of 4 women led by parliamentary leader Petra Budke to visit the asylum accommodation of Hohenleipisch, in the Elbe-Elster Landkreis of Brandenburg. We went there because on 20th June 2019, our sister Rita was found dead and covered in burn marks 300 meters from the Lager, after going missing on 7th April 2019. She was 32 years old with two children under 4 years old.
At Hohenleipisch, we met with the Landkreis’ Sozialamt (social welfare office) which is responsible for the Lager and the Diakonie, which currently manages the Lager. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold, to talk about our sister Rita and talk about the conditions of women and children now living in the Lager. This is what we learned.
The investigation into Rita’s death
As reported by the media at the time, were already concerning delays and red flags in the way the police conducted their searches after Rita was reported missing. Since Rita was found dead in 2019, there have been barely any progress in the criminal investigation led by Oberstaatsanwalt Gernot Bantleon in Cottbus into her suspected murder. We also received confirmation at our meeting that key actors such as the Sozialamt and the key suspect (who has since gone AWOL) have never been contacted by the investigators. We were not able to talk more about Rita as the Diakonie refused to speak about her case. In this sense, our meeting was not fruitful.
We took part in the kick-off event of the 33rd Brandenburg Women’s Week (der 33. Brandenburgischen Frauenwochen 2023) on Thursday 2nd March 2023 with the beautiful slogan of “bei uns doch nicht”. But in our speeches marking different events in Berlin and Brandenburg, we did say, “bei uns doch”. This is because of the following facts, which refugees face in Germany and at the European borders:
The number of attacks on refugee shelters in Germany is on the rise again. In 2022, there were at least 121 attacks – an increase of 73% compared to the previous year. So there are many many more! This is a direct consequence of the European war against refugees. We are presented as a threat in parliaments and laws.
Dear Sea Watch Crew, dear friends from all partner organisations,
It is an honour and joy to share in this great event and being the godmothers of Sea Watch 5.
We are women in Exile, a refugee womens group organizing for our rights in Berlin-Brandenburg, and we want to bring our thanks.
Some of us came by plane, others of us crossed mountains, deserts and seas, with all their beauty turned into deadly borders. Some who started the dangerous journey with hope, perished before fulfilling their dreams. So in all our joy and celebration we will not forget our deep sorrow and anger: It is the responsibility of German and European governments for implementing a racist migration regime that is abusing the Mediterranean to harm and kill so many of us!
As women who crossed borders we appreciate the work you have been doing for the last 5 years: Saving people from distress in stormy high seas, with the risk of getting into distress yourself, or of being criminalised, prosecuted and jailed by the authorities. You are one important part of a global solidary network. And we celebrate in deep joy the successes and thank you from our hearts for your sacrifices and those of yours partners. We are proud to witness the growth of your fleet because we know through this, many more lives will be saved from distress.
As godmothers we will continue to fight for the rights of those who are lucky to reach the shores of fortress Europe, especially women and children who are more vulnerable to these dangerous journeys.
Safe journeys for you and may you find our brothers and sisters in distress, so you can bring relief. May you be protected from criminalization and always have a hand’s breadth of water under your keel.
For the right to come, the right to go and the right to stay!
On 14.09.2022, we did a follow-up visit to the family of A. from Syria, who has been living in a Lager in Gusow-Platkow in Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg. We reported the the situation of family A. to the Brandenburg Social Minister, Frau Nonnemacher and the Integration commissioner of Brandenburg, Frau Lemmermeier, during our meeting as members of the network of the Strategy Group on Housing. We encourtered this family during our Lager visit in April 2022. Our follow-up visit was delayed by the planning and execution of our «International Summer conference» in early August. During this follow-up visit, we realised nothing has changed and actually the family thought we had forgotten them. In our last Newsletter nr. 25, we reported how this family is living in a miserable and difficult conditions, in an old bungalow, with their three disabled family members in wheelchairs. When it is raining, water drips in and some dangerous insects sometimes find their way inside. The pictures and short video attached to this report show how this family lives.
We aim and wish to see this family assisted not only in getting a barrier-free flat and professional people to help the mother in the daily care of the disabled children but also in getting their right to stay. This is just one case of many, showing, that we need humanity and not a Bureaucracy of neglect.
During our “Summer Bus tour 2021” in north Deutschland, one of our stops was Bremen. In Bremen, we met refugee women from “TogetherweareBremen, a group of refugee women fighting for the right to Birth Certificates for their children. whom we got into contact with, before the tour. We held a peer-orientated empowerment workshop where we discussed together the possibilities of claiming the rights to obtain birth certificates of our children born in this country by challenging asylum laws and demanding our children’s rights. We later participated in a podium discussion on health and maternal rights, which Medibüro, Bremen, organised. It was very sad to listen to women living in different parts of Germany who have and were experiencing the same problems with discrimination of the identity of their children and health rights. It shows how the asylum laws are discriminative and racist. Here is a video of the discussion that took place;
Every year, W.i.E&F holds a summer action about our fight and demand ” NO LAGER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN”. In this regard, last year we did a Bus tour to northern Germany where we visited different lagers to ascertain the current situation and bring to light the current situation of women and children in these Lagers. We carried the motto “Women moving against Lagers and Racism” as we brought our voices to these different places and served as a tool to make public what we know to be true to the public. With this, we filmed a documentary showcasing the different places and talked with the women from their points of view.
We hope this Documentary will serve its purpose as a call for all to denounce the Racist Lager system.
Photos from our visit with the women from Cecosesola
On the 29th of August, we W.I.E&F had the pleasure of hosting Ana Maria and Ana Mildred from Cecosesola (Central Cooperativa de Servicios Sociales del Estado Lara), a non-hierarchical solidary of cooperatives in Venezuela at our space in Hermannstr 22. They were in Germany for an exchange programme that takes place every two years and this is the third time they are having an exchange with Germany.
They also participated in our International conference that took place from the 4th to the 7th of August. The reason for this meeting was not only to visit with each other but to also exchange experiences in our fields of work. The meeting was arranged by our good network from Ulenkrug who among others were hosting them After a few good laughs, we were able to listen to them with the help of three translators who translated from English to Spanish and vice-versa.
Cecosesola is 54 years old, born out of necessity. They work in the cultivation of food and its distribution. Providing the food that they cultivate to the poorer communities at a lower price than the current market Price. They have 26 selling points with the major parts being open from Wednesday to Saturday which makes distribution the most significant part.
They provide Health care services in which a Health Centre was built in 2007. For this to be realised, they were able to get an interest-free loan from a cooperative since they could not afford a bank loan.
workshop on difficulties and violence faced by migrants and Refugees
We kicked off our International conference “Breaking Borders to Build Bridges” with an opening ceremony on the 4.8.2022 in the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Berlin with a powerful performance and singing of our freshly formed interreligious choir. In attendance were national and internal guests, overall 250 women* and children. The International conference carried a lot of activities and thus had to be of the same magnitude. The event was meant to celebrate 20 years of Women in Exile and the launching of our collectively self-written book by both women in exile & friends and supporters.
For the whole conference, Women in Exile & Friends had planned different themes for the workshops. We had workshops geared towards gender-specific reasons to flee; exploitation, marginalization and violence.
In a panel discussion with activists from our networks from IWS, Flit* Solidarity Africa, Respect and activists from WIE Rostock and WIE, the topic was: “What does it mean to live with insecure residence or without papers?” Experiences were shared and suggestions for solutions were discussed.
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