** Topic: Research on Detention in Europe **
     ** Written 11:20 AM  Mar 14, 1996 by [email protected] in
                       cdp:misc.activism. **
 
                    UNITEDs Refugee Campaign
 
          R E S E A R C H   O N   D E T E N T I O N
 
Dear friends,
 
With this letter we would like to inform you on the latest
developments within the Refugee Campaign, launched by UNITED in
February 1995. Besides different other aspects of this Campaign
(e.g. Commemoration of "Kristallnacht", Case of the refugees
trapped in the Spanish enclave city Ceuta, Documentation of the
dead refugees trying to enter Fortress Europe etc.), we have
recently decided to raise the question of the detention centres
in Europe.
 
The existence of Fortress Europe produces not only endless number
of deaths and tragic consequences in the lives of those ones
desperately seeking safety, but also a restrictive system to
protect "democracy" and "stability" in the countries of
immigration. Detention centres are, of course, a very crucial
point of this policy.
 
Although "refugee or asylum seeker should not be detained" (UNHCR
guidelines on detention of asylum seekers), unless "restrictions
to the movements of refugees coming directly from a country of
persecution are to be applied until their status is regularised
or they obtain admission into another country" (Article 31 of the
1951 Convention), only superficial insight in the situation shows
many irregularities.
 
For instance, general rules like: detention should under no
circumstances be used as a punitive or disciplinary measure;
minors should not be detained at all; asylum seekers should be
entitled to the minimum procedural guarantees (such as right to
be informed, right to contact UNHCR Office etc.) exist mostly
only on paper. Many detention centres are overcrowded, have no
decent accommodation and professional staff etc.
 
The very beginning of our research on detention made us believe
that this issue needs a wider public's awareness. That is why we
address ourselves to you in hope that you can help us in
researching on the situation in the detention centres in your
country. We enclosed hereby a list with information on some of
the centres as a possible orientation in your work and the
research questionnaire. Please keep us informed! You will receive
completed list afterwards.
 
Thanking you for your collaboration,
I send my best wishes
 
UNITED
 
*****************************************************************
European Research on Detention
 
* PLEASE FILL IN ALL INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE, (REGARDLESS OF
HOW MANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN ANSWER)
 
* SEND US PRESS CUTTINGS/MATERIALS YOU HAVE ON THIS SUBJECT.
THANK YOU!
 
* DISTRIBUTE THE QUESRTIONNAIRE TO OTHER GROUPS
 
(Send all completed forms to UNITED, PB 413, NL-1000 AK
Amsterdam, or by e-mail to [email protected])
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Name/place/country of detention centre :
 
(by detention we understand any kind of "forced" detention in
'immigration'prisons, airports, harbours, deportation centres
etc.)
 
Capacity : (max./average number of detainees)
 
Who is detained ? (illegals, transit, deportees)
 
Length of stay : (max./average)
 
Where should protest be addressed to:
 
Solidarity group who supports detainees of this centre:
(address/tel./fax)
 
Comments on general situation in detention centre :
(this particular one and also additional information on the
situation in your country)
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE FILL IN ALL INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE, (REGARDLESS HOW
MANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN ANSWER) AND SEND US PRESS
CUTTINGS/MATERIALS YOU HAVE ON THIS SUBJECT. THANK YOU!
 
*****************************************************************
Below you find the information that we already have compiled.
*****************************************************************
COUNTRY;
NAME / PLACE of detention centre;
CAPACITY (max.) of the centre;
WHO IS DETAINED? (illegals; transit; deportees...);
LENGTH OF STAY (Average / Maximum);
WHERE SHOULD PROTEST BE ADRESSED TO;
SOLIDARITY GROUP SUPPORTING DETAINEES (name + tel nr.);
COMMENTS ON GENERAL SITUATION IN DETENTION CENTRE
*****************************************************************
A; VIENNA - Airport Sondertransit;18; illegals, transit,
deportees; Caritas:Container, no special police controle
 
A; VIENNA - police prison; 300; illegals, transit, deportees;
Asylkoordination Oesterreich (43-1-5321291)
 
A; There are another 14 police prisons and 4 jails in Austria
where detainees are kept
 
B; Steenokkerzeel - Transitcentrum; 127BIS; Illegals, Rejected
asylum-seekers, deportees; Aktiegroep Recht op vluchten
(32-16-293079); people caught in razor-wire and thrown in
isolation
 
CH; Zuerich - Kloten; 300; Arrested by new law (difficult
deportees); 12 months; 22 Cantonal depart. of justice & police;
SFH Projektstelle Zwr (41-31-3707500)
 
D; BUETZOW - Justizvollzugsanstalt; 50; Illegals, deportees; 50
days - 15 months; Inne- & Justizministerium des Landes;
Diakonisches Werk (49-381-723208)
 
D; BERLIN - K=F6penick Kruppstr. 15; 150; non-identified,
deportees; Diakonisches Werk Treptow (49-30-2329977)
 
D; BERLIN - Gothaerstr.
 
D; BERLIN - Hans Beimlerstr.
 
D ; Cortemark; biggest and most notorious asylum centre in Europe
 
D; LEIPZIG; 30-40; Illegals, deportees; till 18 months;
S=E4chsches Staatsministerium des Innern; Fluechtlingsrat Leipzig
e.V. (49-341-4797522); prison (for prisoners avaiting trial)
 
D; REGENSBURG
 
D; KASSEL; till 18 months
 
D; WUPPERTRAL
 
D; GLASMOOR - Nord-Klein Westfalen
 
D; HERNE -  Ruhrgebied
 
D; HAMBURG; Illegals
 
D; HANNOVER; till 18 months
 
D; KOELN; till 18 months
 
D; OFFENBACH; till 18 months
 
D; FRANKFURT - Gelnhausen; 350 (till 1000); Deportees; till 18
months
 
D; BERLIN - Osterweg 71; Women; till 18 months
 
D; DUESSELDORF - Airport; central detention place for
Nordrhein-Westfalen
 
D; DUESSELDORF - Gerresheim; 80; Illegals, Rejected
asylum-seekers, Offenders...; 4 - 206 days
 
D; NEUSS; 80; Illegals, Rejected asylum-seekers, Women; 4 weeks /
117 days
 
D; MOERS; 144 (till 350); Rejected asylum-seekers
 
D; GUETERSLOH; 88 (till 110); Offenders, deportees; 25 days
 
D; BUEREN; 600; Illegals, Rejected asylum-seekers, Offenders...;
up to a year; Wohlfahrtsverb=E4nde (Soc. benefit org.); Hilfe
fuer Abschiebehaft Bueren (49-5251-730337); 6m wall, prevention
on suicide - calming cells
 
E; CEUTA (Moroccan enclave); 300; Deportees, war refugees,
illegals; Interior ministry of Spain; SOS Racismo (34/43/423138),
APDHA (34/5/4212122); UNITED has a separate dossier on this case
 
E; MADRID - La Estrella; Illegals, deportees; 40 days; Government
representative Pilar Lled-; APDHE (34-1-4023204); no beds,
cellar...
 
=46; paris (Orly Airport - Hotel Arcade); international zone
 
=46; paris - Les Halles (police station); Metropolitan paris
Police Department; Eu. Com. for the Prevention of Torture...
(CPT); bed hygienic and sanitair sit., police brutalities
 
GB; Hull; AVID (Ass. of Visitors to Imigr. Detainees)
 
GB; BIRMINGHAM - Winson Green
 
GB; LEEDS
 
GB; LONDON - Harmondsworth; 90; Deportees, asylum-seekers,
transit...; over a year (aver. 4-6 months); Home Office; London
Detainee Support Group (44/171/4773065)
 
GB; OXFORD - Campsfield ; 200 (more than); Asylum-seekers,
blacks...(immigration prison); till 15 months; Campaign to close
Campsfield (44-1865-724452)
 
GB; ROCHESTER (Kent)
 
GB; PORTSMOUTH - Haslar
 
GB; BRISTOL - Horfield
 
H; Gyor; 500; Illegals, deportees; MLKO (36-1-1665570)
 
LT; Olaine; 600 (per year); Illegals, deportees; prison
 
NL; AMSTERDAM - Schiphol (border 'hospitium'); 120; Deportees
(rejected asylum-seekers), transit, illegals ; till 6 months; IND
(Immigrat. and natural. service); Autonoom Centrum
(31-20-6126172); not enough prof. staf, use of informants, first
in Europe
 
NL; Tilburg - Willem II (prison); 288, till 7 months;
Vluchtelingen Vrij, Centrum voor aktie en bezinning; underpayed
work (=C4 27,50 /20h), 1h/week visit
 
NL; Nieuwersluis (illegals prison)
 
NL; Leeuwarden (illegals prison)
 
NL; Ter Apel (deportation center); Deportees (diffucult cases),
illegals, rejected asylum-seekers ; till 3 months; IND (Immigrat.
and natural. service); Autonoom Centrum (s.a.); extra
security/controle
 
PL; LESZNOWOLA; 200; Illegals, deportees, first det. camp in Pl;
surrounded by a 4 m wall
 
P; Leixes; 140 (per year); Illegals (undocemented), transiters,
clandestines, deportees; Portuguese law doesn't include NGO's in
procedure; Portuguese autorities deny detention in harbour
 
RO; TIMISOARA - Airport Otopani; Deportees (rejected
asylum-seekers from WE, undocumented..); 5 months; Romanian Com.
for Migration Problems;
 
RO; APADOR-CH (40/1/3124528); excessive use of force, unregular
meals...
 
UNITED for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in
support of migrants and refugees
 
Postbus 413
NL-1000 AK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
tel.no. +31-20-6834778
fax no. +31-20-6834582
e-mail [email protected]
 
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     Europe-wide Action Week Against Racism 16-24 March 1996
          O N E  R A C E  --  H U M A N   R A C E
     Hundreds of actions in more than thirty countries...
 
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