For a week we were active in Slovenia and have supported the refugees there. Some of us were present at previous trips and have already gained experience. We have met many people who are like us in the Balkans and help the refugees. Here, we noticed, that is in the North of the escape route, so in Croatia, Austria and Slovenia, is a partly problematic over regulation of the supply stopped. Had taken 1-2 months ago almost exclusively private individuals and groups assistance for the refugees and Government agencies, as well as the large NGOs held back, so this image has turned now fully. The refugees are brought by the Serbian SID with a train in the Croatian camp of Slavonski Brod, from there directly to the camp in the Slovenian town of Dobova, and then on to Spielfeld, Austria. On the road the supply is taken over by the Red Cross or the Caritas. Although, this State represents a significant improvement over the situation in September/October as the refugees still largely have been left to itself. Unfortunately we are experiencing but still significant deficiencies, which are sometimes just results of overregulated government intervention:
- There is a veritable mess of registration. The volunteers need to register anywhere, for any action. In this way resources lost often because must wait or the capacity of the volunteer cannot be used.
- The refugees are encapsulated on their way, more or less of the population. Will bring you to another, like foreign body from a means of transport from a camp to the next, always under guard by police and military.
- The excessive militarization (machine guns, space tank & co.) along the escape route to represent an enormous burden for people with mental, emotional, and mental trauma/injuries.
- The requirement to wear masks and gloves is often for private acting Voluteers under the current bureaucratic and authoritarian structures.
- It often happens, that NGOs make opaque the needs in a camp. We have seen that our clothing donations from the camp were rejected, but then in the camp was inside an enormous demand for it.
- Support the refugees by the large NGOs is often not jointly and severally. In the foreground is the physical supply, there is no right on networking with the refugees, an Exchange or any analysis or criticism of the circumstances and backgrounds of their escape.
- The focus in the camp is the rapid transport of people. The refugees get no information about its location and are not informed of their rights.
- The camps are here absolutely hierarchical organized and the final power of decision remains for police, military, or the NGOs, which allow access to the refugees or the distribution of donations arbitrarily or prohibit.
- Independent NGOs, which have been fighting through the Bürokratiedschungel and may help in the camps, are in constant fear of being kicked cross or the police/military camps, if they behave non-compliant from the red.
We want to connect our humanitarian work with a political position and criticism of the conditions. The need to provide humanitarian assistance, due to political problems, which must be named and criticized for us. These include:
- The European fortress Europe policy towards migrant * inside.
- The lack of solidarity of among European States.
- The lack of usage of the Federal Government against the smear campaign against people.
- The military operations in Afghanistan and the Iraq, which remained without a political strategy against extremist organizations, such as the IS and instead are the tradition of the exploitation policy compared to many States of the Middle East.
- The lack of sensitivity and differentiation of policy regarding the current terrorist events and people, who flee everyday threat before this terror and seeking protection in Europe.
We request that be in support for refugees considered these points and consequences drawn. Support for people to be held jointly and severally and at eye level. The refugees arriving in Europe, are not foreign, but our fellow human beings. Their flight is not a threat to Europe, but an opportunity. For her going away, Europe has the reasons responsible for. This responsibility is to take's finally consistently and sustainably for a solidarity-based world to engage, all people regardless can come together by their heritage without borders.