R.O.T.K.Ä.P.C.H.E.N.

Abolition of the "Residenzpflichtgesetz" Pass Laws for refugees in Germany Protest march and Demonstration in Berlin-17-19 May 2001

Invitation to The nation-wide preparation Meeting on Saturday, 31.03. 2001, at 1pm in Berlin Mehringhof (Meeting Hall) Gneisenaustraße 2a 10961 Berlin U-bahn "Mehringdamm"


Introduction: Names of the Groups, Organisations and Addresses of the Participants

Report on the Political Contents of Events and Mobilisation

Reports on the refugee declaration call for the Demonstration from The VOICE Jena.

Discussions on Information and Political contents of events:

  • Open call with names of all groups for the support of refugee`s demands and the declaration call for May Protests and Demonstrations in Berlin.
  • The political demands of all preparatory groups with information on:
    refugees that have been physically abused, arrested, fined and punished for violating the Pass Law "Residenzpflichtgesetz", including, the court trials. Why and how do the German legislation violate the fundamental Rights of Movement within the national borders of Germany with the "Residenzpflichtgesetz" "Pass Laws" for Refugees in Germany.
  • Criminalisation of movement: The gaps between Migration and confinement with the political strategies of socio-political, -economics, -labour and physical restriction of migrants.
  • The connection of the German political corruption and discriminatory laws with the neo-colonial global exploitation and the confinement of migrants in Germany.
  • Preparatory meeting of the refugees representatives on the 14th of April 2001 in Göttingen
  • Refugees' Memorandum for the Abolition of the "Residenzpflichtgesetz" for free movement of Refugees in Germany,
  • readers of the protest action and the political contents of the events from 17-19 May in Berlin.
Participating organisations: Brandenburg Refugees Initiative, African Refugees Association in Hamburg, The VOICE Africa Forum and International Menschenrechtsverein in Bremen.

Mobilisation and contacts with other groups Mobilisation Tours and the Benefit Concerts in Germany. 25-30 busses; with 01 bus per 40 persons, for the transportation of refugees,

17-19 May 2001
  • Manifestation on the Bundestag
  • Open hearing and Tribunal on:
What are the most realistic possibilities for the abolishment of "Residenzpflichtgesetz" in the Red-Green government?

Abolition of "Residenzpflichtgesetz" with Sunny and Cornelius Court trials and the defence Lawyers
  • Strategies for civil disobedience, Court trials, Public protests and Direct (spontaneous) protests against Police controls, urgent action, Petition to the parliament and the constitutional appeals to Federal court, European Court, and the UN Human Rights Court.

The Caravan Refugees Platform under the motto: Free Speech, Movement and Residence.
Neo-colonial Globalisation with migration and confinement theories, and strategies for political repression of refugees and migrants Discussion with the representatives of refugees organisations in Germany.
  • Printed reports, information and videos on the situation of refugees and Cultural events.
  • Final Protest march and Demonstration on the 19 May in Berlin.

Cost analysis of mobilisation: Telephone and Communication, Printing and Photocopies, Placards, Leaflets, feeding, transportation, invitations for international observers to the May event in Berlin.

Reports from working-groups:
  • mobilisation
  • call
  • medias/public (-relation)
  • financing
  • infrastructure
  • Events of 17-19 May in Berlin.

This programme is a proposal from The VOICE Africa Forum, Jena.

For more information contact: The VOICE Africa Forum,
Schillergäßchen 5,07745 Jena
Tel.: 03641-665214, Fax: 0 36 41 - 423795
E-mail: The_VOICE_Jena@gmx.dem



Abolition of the "Residenzpflichtgesetz" Pass Laws for refugees in Germany Protest march and Demonstration in Berlin-17-19 May 2001

"Come to Berlin"


Action Days and General Demonstration from 17. to 19. May 2001 in Berlin

Abolition of the "Residenzpflichtgesetz" (Pass Law) for the refugees! Freedom of movement!

The refugees will mobilise to Berlin for a three day political protest meetings and cultural event with a nation-wide demonstration against the Residence Obligation ( Residenzpflicht) Pass Laws. The aim is to inform many refugees about the actions.

For accommodation,tents would be built around the center of Berlin for women,children and others .

The starting point: For refugees, they are not allowed to leave their local district "landkreis" , where they live. It is only possible for them to leave after obtaining permission from the foreign authority "ausländerbehörde" in the local district. In most cases, the authorities deny this permission, so the refugee is forced to go against this pass law for example when he/she has to meet their relatives or friends or take part in cultural and political events.

The "Residenzpflichtgesetz", which exists only in Germany since 1982, violates the fundamental right of free movement for the refugees and also criminalizes them. If refugees have to leave their landkreis without permission this is taken as a crime - so, the refugee is punished and forced to pay money to the court or to the foreign authorities. Their continuous violation of the pass law may lead to imprisonment of up to one year with deportation threat.

You may be fined as much as 5000DM according to article 86 of the German asylum law (AsylVFG) for the violation of the Apartheid residential restriction -Obligation "pass law" and if the fine cannot be paid by the refugee who get a meagre 80DM per month, he or she is slave worked as punishment for the fine.Situation now:

Because of the increasing repression of the refugees by the state authorities, the Karawane will be mobilising for the preparation of a nationwide demonstration, which will take place on the 17 to the 19 of May in Berlin at the Bundestag. We took the first step in initiating a nation-wide self -organisations of refugees in the Die Karawane for the rights of refugees and migrants (summer 1998), Die Karawane hunger strike for justice during the G8-summit in Cologne, the Refugees Congress in Jena (April/May 2000) and the demonstrations during the Expo in Hannover (July/October 2000).

We protest, calling for the immediate abolition of the Apartheid Residential Restriction -Obligation Pass Law "Residenzpflichtgesetz" which exist only in Germany since 1982. Our protest against the discrimination of refugees is part of our(my) political engagement for the continuation of our (my) political struggle for human freedom in exile, as our (my) right to freedom of opinion, expression and association regardless of frontiers is also restricted, in violation of Articles 13, 19, 20, 27 and 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights which Germany ratified.