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Border blockades in Poland: Citizen protests against German refugee policy!
Protests in Poland block border crossings because of German refugee policy. Tensions and criticism of pushbacks.
Border blockades in Poland: Citizen protests against German refugee policy!
There are currently unmistakable protests on the streets and at the borders. In recent days, numerous demonstrators have come together in Poland to mobilize against German refugee policy. On Thursday, around 40 people with Polish flags blocked the Ahlbeck border crossing, followed on Sunday by a similar action at the Lubieszyn crossing. These protests are organized by the Flota Swinoujscie initiative and find support in right-wing circles, which further inflames the situation. The mood at the border with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is tense, as shown by reports from travelers advising others to travel before 6 p.m. to avoid conflict. Northern Courier describes that there is strong dissatisfaction among the residents, especially because of the federal police's rejection of refugees who entered illegally.
The protests in Poland are not isolated. The call for change is also getting louder in Germany. In Göttingen, the Seebrücke initiative is planning a large-scale protest action under the motto “We leave traces”. This event will take place on Sunday and follows the concept of a contact-free protest due to the current Corona situation. Participants should walk individually across the square every minute and use colored footprints or empty shoes as a symbol of refugee policy. The organizers' goal? To send a clear message to the federal government and the EU and point out the catastrophic conditions for over 40,000 people in refugee camps on Greek islands. Göttingen Tageblatt reports on similar actions that are planned in parallel in other German cities.
Border conflicts and pushbacks
The situation at the borders is further complicated by EU migration policy. Pushbacks, i.e. the violent pushing back of migrants who want to apply for asylum, are commonplace and violate EU law and the Geneva Refugee Convention. The number of migrants from Afghanistan has increased in recent years, especially since the Taliban came to power. While southern European countries are calling for a fairer distribution of refugees, eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary continue to rely on isolation measures. Europe in class describes that twelve EU states want physical barriers at their external borders, which raises the question of how humanitarian values can be reconciled with the pursuit of national security.
Not to be forgotten is the role of the federal police, which recently picked up five Yemenis and arrested their smugglers. The debate over the rejection of asylum seekers at borders remains tense, while reports of “manhunts” and “vigilante justice” at border crossings fuel the concerns of residents and activists. The issue is not just local, but has European dimensions that cannot be ignored.