Balkans: No Fences! No Borders!

The migrant ’crisis’ is a politically created crisis which has political decisions at its core. These decisions include the restriction and slowing of the migration movement as well as an intentional mass violation of people's exercise of their (legal) right of freedom of movement and their right to seek asylum. The so-called Balkan route is becoming more dangerous by the day, as new fences are erected, more (border) police and army forces are committing human rights violations, and divisive tactics are deployed in order to stem the migration flow. Recent acts of violence are politically spinned for electoral successes in an atmosphere of increased Islamophobia and Xenophobia, instead of recognising them as the very same violence people are fleeing from. Another political decision underpinning this crisis is the decision to wage war. Not just by Assad, but also by Russia and Western governments. War destroys lives, homes and displaces people. These people have every right to seek peace and a better life. War has other faces too, not just bombs. Human-enduced climate disasters, famines, poverty, political prosecution, gendered violence and discrimination of various minorities. All these are linked to European colonialism and neoliberal capitalism. Europe has a strict responsibilty towards those who choose to flee or have no other choice at all. What we all really face contained in this 'crisis' is a challenge about the whole direction of Europe: we act to turn the promises of humanity and dignity into something real, or we face a poisonously racist and dangerous future. We need to reject lines drawn on political maps and instead show solidarity with those crossing borders by any means necessary.

Our group of activists ist not planning to use your donations for humanitarian help, as many other charities, volunteering organizations and NGOs have taken on the role of collecting such material donations and redistributing them. We want to focus on the obstacle which creates the conditions of hunger, cold and dependency in the first place: the borders themselves. Given the upcoming cold winter months and the replacement of this summer’s welcoming rhetoric with brutal policing and exclusion, we believe that it is important to uphold the Balkan route at all costs. So we will use your money to build logistical solidarity (more translators at borders & distribution of resources e.g. updated maps, Wi-Fi Hotspots) as well as acquiring tools for a larger dismantling of the borders (documentation of and interventions against police violence, direct actions against fences etc). We plan to do this at the borders between Slovenia/Croatia, Croatia/Serbia, Serbia/Macedonia, and Macedonia/Greece. We do this as individual activists, and we do not carry out this work for any formal NGO, activist organization, charity or other institution.

Any amount ist appreciated. Thank you!
Freedom of movement for all!