Welcome to Europe! Some Information for your journey after leaving Athens…
Last update July 2015
Deportations to Greece have been stopped in most EU countries
In January 2011 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decided in an individual case that Greece was violating the human rights of a refugee by detaining him under inhuman conditions and leaving him homeless. It also judged that Belgium violated his human rights by deporting him back to Greece (see: http://w2eu.net/2011/01/22/front-kick-dublin-2/). Following that decision deportations to Greece were temporarily halted in most EU-countries, because hundreds of other “Greek” cases were expected to be judged in the same way. This decision indiscriminately concerns until today both: persons who have been fingerprinted and have a “white paper” (chartia) for 30 days/or six months and also asylum seekers (holders of pink/white cards) in Greece.
The temporary stop of deportations to Greece is a result of the struggles of migrants and their supporters: Many refugees have been resisting and, after having been deported once to Greece, started their journey all over again. The violation of their rights in Greece is well known for a long time. Some of them appealed against their deportation with the help of lawyers and NGOs.
Deportations to Greece have been based on an agreement between countries of the European Union (called “Dublin III”). According to this agreement all adult asylum seekers are to be returned to the country of arrival in Europe and they have only once the possibility to claim for asylum. Therefore, if authorities find your fingerprints in the database, if you are not an unaccompanied minor, and if they can confirm that you have been in Greece during your journey, in the past they may have tried to deport you there. After the ECtHR-decision this is not possible anymore!
Generally speaking: the judgement of the ECtHR concerning Greece may be considered radical, so asylum seekers who are leaving from there can safely apply for asylum again in most EU-countries without being threatened with deportation. This may change again in the future so it is good to document your personal situation with all its problems in Greece (i.e. with photos or videos or any documents of proof from hospitals, authorities etc.) to show it later in the country where you decide to stay.
Overview of European countries having stopped deportation to Greece:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (deportation-stop until January 2016), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK and Switzerland (individual returns have started of persons who resided many years in Greece)
Dublin-Deportations to Hungary, Bulgaria and other EU-countries
So far there is only a general (but temporary) deportation stop to Greece but notto any other EU-countries (like Italy, Bulgaria or Hungary for example). So if you have fingerprints in any European country and you don’t stay there but continue your journey, you might get threatened by deportation to this country. In this case it is absolutely necessary to contact support-groups in your country of arrival as soon as possible – you need help to stop a deportation to any other country than Greece. In most countries and in most cases you will also need a lawyer. Seek advise from support groups on contacts to experienced lawyers who are well equipped to prevent a deportation based on the Dublin III Regulation to countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Italy etc. Lawyers are usually take money for supporting refugees as there is not a lot of free legal aid available. Even if you lack money, you can probably arrange to pay the lawyer in monthly rates with the social welfare money you get from the state where you seek asylum.
Normally, the country you will apply for asylum will take your fingerprints upon registration to compare them with data from other EU-countries in the computerized system called Eurodac. The authorities will also ask you about how you got there (your travel route). Based on this information, the authorities will decide if they are responsible to take your asylum application or if another country (you passed through earlier) is responsible for that. If they find your fingerprint or any other information to prove you were before in another EU-country (other than Greece), they will ask this country if they will take you back. If this country agrees within the legal time frame or does not answer at all (within 2-3 months after your fingerprints have been taken in the country of arrival), you will receive a letter informing you about your scheduled deportation. This is the latest moment when YOU HAVE TO SEEK HELP of a lawyer IMMEDIATELY. There is only one week time for the lawyer to appeal before the court against your deportation. In the best case you will have already taken a lawyer in advance and you will be prepared to fight against your deportation for a long time. Don’t wait until the last moment! In order to appeal against your deportation it is important to show your vulnerabilities and – if you have any – evidence on why your living circumstances in the country they want to deport you to were so sub-standard that you cannot return. Vulnerable groups such as families with children under 2 years, sick persons, the mentally ill, single mothers etc. are more likely not to be deported. Prepare a good documentation of your vulnerability. Lawyers need documents to argument on your behalf, so start early collecting any written evidence by doctors, psychologists, social workers etc. In order to document the bad living circumstances you suffered in the country where you were fingerprinted, collect during your stay there photos and any other forms of evidence that show your problems there, like papers from doctors or NGOs about illnesses or injuries. It is also helpful to write down in advance all your stories of persecution plus all difficulties you encountered on the road to and through Europe. There might be traumatizing experiences you yourself don’t consider important but which your lawyer can use to argue against your deportation. Additionally, consider if you have any family members in the country where you registered and want to stay and explain to your lawyer and the authorities why you rely on the help of your relatives or why they rely on you. This dependency can be another factor supporting your claim that you cannot be returned to another EU-country, for example if you have your elderly mother who cannot take care of herself, or an underage relative with no other family members nearby etc.
And even if the court will finally decide against you: there are many people who manage to prevent Dublin-deportations even after these court decisions. There is a time limit for the deportation: from the moment the country became “responsible” for you and/or after a negative court-decision, there are only 6 months in which to carry out the deportation. After that, the country of arrival will be responsible. So there are many people who overcame that time limit: a) because they had been (mentally or physically) sick to a degree that they could not travel (mental state: i.e. that you are a danger for yourself or others; physical state: heart disease), b) they resisted against the deportation and it was too late for the authorities to book a next flight, c) in some countries churches offer asylum and protect refugees under threat of deportation, d) there can be decisions to transfer the responsibility to the country of arrival, if there is a political decision or will to do so. For all these steps you need a good network of friends around you to support you. So it is very helpful to explain to different people near you what your problem is and to try to connect with those who are on your side: create your own team!
Be aware: In many countries there are many new asylum applications right now so the asylum system including the registration system and the comparison of fingerprints is blocked sometimes for weeks and even months. The resulting delays lead in some cases to the expiration of time-limits defined in law concerning the Dublin deportations so that a forced return based on fingerprints cannot be carried out anymore. The more time is passing by, the better for you. BUT your lawyer needs to check the time limits by himself by getting your permit to look into your file.
Careful: Fingerprints from Hungary or any other country cannot be “deleted” or “cleared” but in some countries you can fight against your deportation with the help of the lawyer and especially with solidarity groups as described above with good chances to prevent it.
Careful: Unaccompanied minors (under the age of 18) have no legal limitation to stay in any specific country. They can even apply for asylum several times within Europe. As long as they don’t receive any status they can move freely. If they are fingerprinted in an EU-country other than Greece and registered there falsely as adults, still they will not be sent back if registered as under-aged in the country they finally decide to stay. Be aware that you have to register your asylum application with the competent asylum authority before you turn 18. Be aware, that in the moment you are made older by the authorities after an age-testing and you are not registered as a minor, it is again different!
Careful: Even if you have not been fingerprinted in a European or a non-European country you might be sent back to the country which is close to the border where you have been arrested. For example: If you are arrested in Austria and near the border to Hungary this is considered sufficient proof to send you back to Hungary on the grounds that you have “obviously” entered the one country through the other – even if you didn’t. The same goes for other borders: Hungary-Serbia, Italy-Greece etc. These kind of returns/ deportations are based on bilateral Readmission Agreements but often lack legal procedures.
Family Reunification:
Families might find themselves in a situation where one person went first to a specific European country, and his/her family-member has remained behind in another country that signed the Dublin III-agreement – for example the mother in Norway and the underage son in Greece. In that case, you have the possibility to ask for family reunification. If a country registered your asylum application and is reviewing your case, you may try to get close family members to join you legally. This is only possible if an asylum application by a family member in the European country you want to be reunited in as a family is registered.
Be careful: in European law “family members” means: 1. Married partners; 2. a minor child of a couple, 3. the father, mother when the refugee is a minor and unmarried. Furthermore, depending on the case and national ruling of the state you want to be united to: 4. spouses in a stable relationship and 5. in cases of minors the guardian who is not the mother or father – but this is much more complicated and needs evidence that this relationship is long-term and stable.
Be aware: Procedures of family reunification take a lot of time (currently around six months in Greece), need your patience and are a little complicated. Therefore, look for an experienced lawyer who specializes in such cases. You will need support in Greece (for example contact the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) in Athens: Solomou 25, Exarheia, (0030)210-3800990)) and also in the country where you want to get united. You can find advice to find good lawyers in different countries via the contacts given at http://w2eu.info/.
Be aware: Usually the family is reunited to the country where most family members reside. Only in the case for Greece as Dublin deportations are suspended families are always reunited out of Greece.
Careful: Even after the successful family reunification it is possible that a minor will be age-tested by the authorities of the country where he/she finally arrived at. In such a case take immediately a lawyer.
Careful: After you receive the permission to fly into the country where your family member is, please try to have a direct flight to the city where your family member live. When you arrive make sure you show every authority (also to the police) your family reunification paper. This is very important so that you won’t get in danger to be transferred to a different area of the country.
Be aware: If you don’t provide the authorities with sufficient proof of your relationship to each other they might ask for a DNA test. The costs have to be covered by yourself.
Be aware: Currently everyone has to pay his/her ticket by his/her own. Anyway this is still cheaper and less risky than traveling by yourself undocumented. For the period you wait for your application in Greece you can apply for housing before the Asylum Service. Unaccompanied minors will be hosted in a reception centre surely. Adults have chances on housing if they are families with underage children, single parents or if they have any special needs due to a sickness, mental problems or as a consequence of being a victim of torture.
Be aware: Currently the Asylum Service is largely understaffed. Therefore to get an appointment at the Service in Athens you need to call on specific days and during specific hours (according to the language you speak) on the skype-ID (i.e. “Asylum Service Farsi Dari” for Afghans and Iranians) and be prepared to make a photo of yourself and tell them your personal data .
Can recognized refugees receive residence permits in other EU-states?
According to European Law, a person who has received a refugee status or subsidiary/humanitarian protection in one EU-state cannot reapply in another EU country. He/she can travel for a period of three months out of the country of his/her papers but cannot work elsewhere even during that time.
It is very difficult to get your recognition from one EU-state recognized in another state. It has happened though for example in a case of a refugee with a protection status from Greece who moved to Belgium and who could prove that he had been a victim of racist violence in Greece so that he was not secure there. You need to have a very strong case though and a lot of patience and time to fight for this. There is no way to easily and quickly get your status from one state to another.
Yet, there are other ways to get a residence permit in another EU-state. The applicant has to provide for almost the same prerequisites as another person who would apply for a residence permit independently from any asylum application. The residence permit needs to be based on a reason to stay such as: family reunification (husband, wife or children), getting married in the destination country with a person who has a legal stay, studies at university or work. The solution of work is very difficult to realize. Only highly qualified experts usually receive work permits, which can be used for a residence permit (blue card law).
A residence permit on humanitarian grounds can also be given based on the fact that a persons life was not secure in the country he/she received a protection status. Anyway, the residence permit is then based on the condition that the situation in this country will not improve. It is thus not sure that this residence permit can be renewed.
Note: It is still the case that, most probably, the authorities in the countries of arrival will not automatically find any information concerning the results of your asylum claim in another country. They will only notice that you have Greek papers when you present them or refer to them.
Changes in the Eurodac Regulation that affect those who have been recognized in Greece as refugees:
On the 20th of July 2015, changes in the Eurodac Regulation were implemented. They affect amongst others the information on individuals accessible through the system. Until recently all refugees coming from Greece were not further investigated on the status they had there. Only possible fingerprints from other EU-countries were considered. The changes brought about in the renewed Regulation now provide for the registration on any information of a legal status such as political asylum / subsidiary protection / humanitarian status and allow the EU-member states to gain access to this data. It remains yet to be seen what this change will mean in practice and from when on it will affect whom. Until now no changes were observed.
General tips and warnings concerning the current situation:
Be aware:
– That family members who arrive even a few days later may be separated from their relatives. Try to register all together if possible.
– It might take a few weeks until you get registered and fingerprinted if the place you arrive in and report yourself to the authorities is crowded.
– It is possible that the place you arrive in is not equipped to host the number of people arriving in a dignified way. There are currently many shortcomings and people might stay under very different conditions within the same country. Try to inform yourself in advance which places are less crowded and provide for better conditions if that is a factor important for your decision where you want to go.
– You should solve one problem after the other. It is good to start early getting prepared for your asylum case, but also do not to make yourself crazy with that when there are more urgent needs. Be aware that most people have reasons of persecution and don’t even know it. So please don’t panic and don’t create a crazy story which you will never remember, based on hundreds of different advises, but seek the advise of a lawyer and/or solidarity and counselling groups. Tell them your real story and ask for further advice. Your lawyer has the task to support you and is not allowed to share any information with third persons. Protect any evidence you have for your case by keeping them safe and making copies (in the best case keep copies also on the internet, in your email account for example). Keep contacts with persons who can be witnesses to your story.
Have a safe journey!
If you need help in a country you travel through, are stuck or detained in, if you want to prevent your Dublin deportation or apply for asylum, it is good to contact people who have some experience and can give you ideas on how the system works in the place you are (i.e. the European asylum system differs very much from country to country). On the following pages you may find contacts in the listed countries:
Border regions in the West and North of Greece:
Patras:
Movement for the Defense of Refugee & Migrant Rights
Local solidarity group providing mainly for Greek lessons, donations of clothes and food occasionally and legal advise in individual cases.
Ioannou Vlachou 19, Patras
Meetings (open to public): Tuesdays 21:00
Lessons (Sept.-June): Tuesday & Wednesday 19:00-21:00
email: kinisi.yperaspisis@gmail.com
tel.: +30 6974992559
PRAKSIS Drop in Center
Medical, social and legal aid for unaccompanied minors mainly (but not exclusively), possibility to wash clothes and take shower
Tsamadou Street 38
Tel. 2610 321933
opening hours
Red Cross
Medical aid: Mondays-Fridays 8:00-14:30
Legal aid upon appointment, tel. 2610620774
Karolou Street 8, corner to St. Andreas Street
Tel. 2610277386
Médécins du Monde
Medicail aid to persons without health insurance
Mondays-Fridays: 9:00-17:00
Kapodistririou 92 & PanachaikouTel. 2610310366
Municipality of Patras
Food distribution and Greek lessons: On Tuesdays and Saturdays at
the swimming pool in Kanellopoulou Street at 11:30.
On Thursdays at the parking opposite to Makro in Vesso Mare at
11:30am.
Thessaloniki:
Refugee Solidarity Movement Thessaloniki
Ensuring Food Security & basic supplies for refugees in Thessaloniki!
Currently at the Bus Station where busses leave to Eidoumeni
Contact telephones: 694 8802 987 or 694 5344 935
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Refugee-Solidarity-Movement-Thessaloniki/1638025606411034?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser
Eidomeni:
https://www.facebook.com/EidomeniCohelp
MSF – Greece: Doctors, nurses and interpreters move with a mobile unit to the areas along the border where they are needed.
Countries on the route from Greece to Northern Europe:
ALBANIA
Albania has returned many persons back to Greece, sometimes after months of detention. At the moment not so many people go via Albania. We have no experience with the organization in Albania so far! If you can give us a feedback if it was useful or not, we would appreciate it (contact@w2eu.info).
Refugee and Migrant Services in Albania / Sherbimet Shqiptare per
Refugjate dhe Albania
NGO Directory, 27 October 2011
Address: Rruga “Donika Kastrioti” Nr. 4 Tirana, Albania
Tel: 00355 422 502 06, Fax: 00355 422 284 92
Email: mhereni@yahoo.com
BULGARIA
After being caught by the authorities, refugees have to stay up to a couple of days in police custody. This could be in the “Distribution Center” in Elhovo, or in some other and smaller police check-point along the border. Mostly, refugees are fingerprinted and registered in the EURODAC database by the police and assessed, whether they are entitled to apply for asylum or not. The decision is taken by the ‘State Agency for Refugees’ (SAR). An unknown number of refugees is sentenced for “illegal border crossing” and most of the refugees are transferred to closed camps in Lyubimets (sometimes to Busmantsi, near Sofia). When there is a decision that you have the right to apply for asylum, after several months you are sent to an open center in Pastrogor, Banya, Harmanli or to one of the three places in Sofia (Ovcha Kupel, Voenna Rampa, Vrazhdebna). If one tries to leave the country via the border during his/her application process, one could be sent to the regular prison as a “convicted criminal” and could be held inside a normal prison.
If you have fingerprints in Bulgaria and you apply for asylum in any other European country, they might try to send you back there. As it is well known that the situation in Bulgaria is very difficult for refugees especially concerning accommodation and imprisonment, there are various chances to stop a Dublin-deportation to Bulgaria. Most important is that you get into direct contact with support structures in the places of arrival!
For legal help:
LEGAL CLINIC FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
Free legal help and counseling
Address: 1582 Sofia, 130 Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov blvd., office No.9
Phone: +359 888 401 489
Email: lcribg@gmail.com , valeria.ilareva@gmail.com
Website: www.lcrien.wordpress.com
Call for an appointment first! Visits also to the immigration detention centre.
FOUNDATION ‘CENTER FOR LEGAL AID – VOICE IN BULGARIA’ (CLA)
Free legal counselling
Address: Sofia 1000, 5 Б Triaditsa Str., floor 2, office 226
Phone/ Fax: + 359 29810779 ; GSM: + 359 894 760180 Email: daskalova.diana@gmail.com
Website: http://www.centerforlegalaid.com/
Reception hours: Every Thursday, 10:00 – 12:00 AM
More contacts and information for Bulgaria:
http://w2eu.info/bulgaria.en.html
HUNGARY
Hungary started to build a fence on its 175 kilometre long border to Serbia. It should be finished by November 2015. It will be four meters high.
At the moment, people are generally not deported back to Serbia, at least if you do not insist that you do not want to claim asylum in Hungary. Your fingerprints will be taken anyway. Probably, there will be more deportations to Serbia soon: The Hungarian parliament already passed a law, which authorizes the government to set up a list of “safe third countries” and Serbia will be one of the countries on that list – this is nearly certain. But: It is not certain if there really will be a lot of deportations to Serbia from Hungary soon or not, because this requires the “cooperation” of Serbia and nobody knows at the moment, if they will accept to take back people or not.
Currently, if you are caught at the border to Serbia by Hungarian border guards, you will be detained only for some days in provisory camps, where your fingerprints will be taken. After that you will be transported by bus to the train station in Szeged and get a paper on which is written that you should go by yourself to one of the four open reception centres in Hungary. This letter is also valid as a ticket for the train. Most people never go to one of these open camps or they stay there only for some days and continue their journey to the other European Union countries. Only this year there have been more than 70.000 asylum-seekers in Hungary and 90 % of them already left the country.
This means, there are many thousands of people in Europe, who have fingerprints in Hungary. Formally, under the so-called “Dublin III regulation” everyone would be deported back do Hungary, if he/she wouldn’t appeal successfully with the help of a lawyer against the return. But currently, the Hungarian government is mostly unwilling to take back all people. For this reason at the moment, there is the practice that Hungary does not accept to take back more than 12 people a day from all other European Union countries.
So in case you come to another country with fingerprints from Hungary, you should go to one of the addresses included in this leaflet. To stop a deportation to Hungary you will need a lawyer – and it is very difficult without additional assistance of supporters (see included contacts). There are good chances right now, even if you have fingerprints in Hungary to NOT be deported back there. BUT you should immediately take legal advise in the country of arrival of an experienced lawyer or organization. Then you will have good chances to avoid a deportation.
Here you can find a very useful leaflet (in various languages) on the current situation in Hungary written by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee http://helsinki.hu/en/new-information-for-refugees
Legal advice
Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Magyar Helsinki Bizottság)
Budapest (central office)
Address: 1054 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 36–38.
Tel/fax: 06 1 321 4323, 06 1 321 4141
Website: www.helsinki.hu
E-mail: helsinki@helsinki.hu
Languages: Hungarian, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian,
Russian. Call first for an appointment!
More contacts and info in Hungary see: http://w2eu.info/hungary.en.html
ITALY
We have not heard of recent deportations from Italy back to Greece of people who have managed to reach the big cities. But Italy deports regularly people back who are caught inside the ferryboats coming from Patras or Igoumenitsa or inside the port area of the Italian ports. And there is another problem (similar to Hungary): Many people try to continue their journey after having been fingerprinted in Italy. If you have fingerprints in Italy and continue to another country you can be sent back to Italy (for example if the Greek fingerprints have not been found but those from Italy are inside the computer system). So in case you move to another country with fingerprints from Italy, you should get in touch with one of the contacts named in this leaflet. To stop a deportation to Italy you will need a lawyer – and additional assistance of supporters.
Rome:
Comunità di Sant’Egidio Genti di pace Sportello socio-legale
Via Dandolo 10
Email: gentidipace@santegidio.org
ARCI Nuova associazione – Antiracism and Immigration
Via dei Montai di Peitralata 16, Rome
Tel. 06 41795048, fax 06 41609234, immigrazione@arci.it
Associazione progetto diritti
Via Ettore Giovenale, 79
Tel. 06 298777
Venezia:
Razzismo Stop Venezia
Via Fratelli bandiera 45
30175 Marghera (Ve)
E-mail: razzismostop_v@globalproject.info
SOS ERM : Emergenza Rifugiati Milano
https://www.facebook.com/soserm
MACEDONIA
Macedonia is not part of the Dublin Convention. This means that you can ask for asylum or have your fingerprints taken there without getting later problems when claiming asylum in another Dublin country (no danger of a Dublin-deportation). You will be fingerprinted already when you first express an intention to seek asylum and get a paper at the police station which gives you 72 hours to get to one of the centres for asylum seekers. There you are registered, which is the precondition for starting the asylum-procedure. Having the 72-hours-paper does not only give you the right to go to one of the asylum centres, but also the right to be accommodated legally in any youth hostel (and demand the same price as for everyone else), get medical care (beyond just the emergency life-saving health care interventions reserved for undocumented migrants), take public transport without the drivers demanding higher prices for not calling the police etc. In the past months, an overwhelming solidarity movement has emerged in several Macedonian regions, which is communicating through an open Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/help.mk.migrants/.
We have no experience with the following organizations so far! If you can give us feedback on whether it was useful or not, we would appreciate it (contact@w2eu.info):
Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia
Boulevard Kocho Racin, Skopje
redcross.org.mk
+389 2 311 4355
Macedonian Young Lawyers Association
Blagoj Davkov no.2/1/1
Skopje
contact@myla.org.mk
Tel. + 389 2 3220 870
SERBIA
Serbia is not part of the Dublin Convention. This means that you can ask for asylum or have your fingerprints taken there without problems to claim asylum in another EU-country afterwards (no danger of a Dublin-deportation).
You will be fingerprinted already when you first express the intention to seek asylum. You will then get a paper at the police station which gives you 72 hours to get to one of the centres for asylum seekers, where you are registered. This is the condition for starting the real asylum-procedure. Having the 72-hours-paper does not only give you the right to go to one of the asylum centres, but also gives you the right to be accommodated legally in any youth hostel (and demand the same price as for everyone else), get medical care (beyond just the emergency life-saving health care interventions reserved for undocumented migrants), take public transport without the drivers demanding higher prices for not calling the police etc.
Infomobile Serbia
No border activists, migrant solidarity
Blog: http://noborderserbia.wordpress.com
Mail: noborderserbia@riseup.net
Tel.: +381(0)61 64 50 529
We have no experience with the following organizations so far! If you can give us feedback on whether it was useful or not, we would appreciate it (contact@w2eu.info).
Asylum Protection Center/ Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila
14 Sime Igumanova St., Belgrade
Tel/Fax: 00381 11 2457 376; 00381 11 3085 259
Mob: 00381 63 7047 080
e-mail: rados.djurovic@apc-cza.org
web: www.apc-cza.org;
Belgrade Center for Human Rights
Beogradska 54, Belgrade
Phone/Fax: 00381 (11) 3085 328
Mob: +381648246508
www.azil.rs
http://www.azil.rs/doc/asylum_seeker_info/english.pdf (info on asylum)
Other EU Countries:
AUSTRIA
Vienna:
Asyl in Not
Währingerstraße 59/2
1090 Wien
Tel.: 0043-(0)1 408 42 10
www.asyl-in-not.org
Traiskirchen:
Diakonie
in Traiskirchen next to the train station
Opening hours: every Tuesday and Thursday: 9-16
(registration: 9-14)
Josef-Ferschner-Str. 20/II
2514 Traiskirchen
Tel.: 0043-(0)2252 / 547 26
Linz:
More contacts and information on Austria : http://w2eu.info/austria.en.html
BELGIUM
Comité Belge d’Aide aux Réfugiés/
Belgisch Comité voor Hulp aan Vluchtelingen
Rue Defacqzstraat 1 b 10
1000 Bruxelles
Tel 0032-(0)2/537.82.20
Fax 0032-(0)2/537.89.82
www.cbar-bchv.be
DENMARK
Danish Refugee Council
Borgergade 10
1300 København K
Tel: 0045 (0)33 73 50 00
Wednesday 13-15
The Trampoline House
Skyttegade 3, ground floor
DK-2200 Copenhagen N
Tel: (0045) 32 20 02 25
Email: info@trampolinehouse.dk
Web: www.trampolinehouse.dk
A user-driven culture house and meeting place for asylum seekers, migrants and Danish citizens. Free legal counseling every Wednesdays from 17-19.
Asylret (Right to Asylum)
Email: info@asylret.dk
Web: www.asylret.dk
Volunteer group working with legal counseling and case handling for rejected asylum seekers.
FRANCE
These two organisations have groups all around France.Look at their website to find the address of the closest local group to the place where you are :
Cimade (nationale)
64 rue Clisson
75013 Paris
Tel 0033 (0)1 44 18 60 50
http://www.lacimade.org/
Local groups : http://www.lacimade.org/regions
France Terre D’Asile
4 rue Doudeaucille 75018 Paris
0033 (0)1 53 26 23 80
http://www.france-terre-asile.org/
Local groups : http://www.france-terre-asile.org/que-faisons-nous/ftda-en-france
Calais :
If you want to ask for asylum, if you are a minor and want to stay in France, or for administrative help :
France Terre d’Asile, 5 rue de Vic, 62100 Calais, 03 21 19 66 09
Secours catholique, 1691 route de Saint-Omer, 62100 Calais, 03 21 19 86 56
More contacts and information on France: http://w2eu.info/france.en.html
GERMANY
Berlin:
Flüchtlingsrat Berlin
Georgenkirchstr 69-70
10249 Berlin-Friedrichshain
Tel. (0049) 30-243 44 5762
Fax (0049) 30-243 44 5763
buero@fluechtlingsrat-berlin.de
www.fluechtlingsrat-berlin.de
Frankfurt:
PRO ASYL
Tel.: 0049 (0)69-23 06 88
Fax: 0049 (0)69-23 06 50
Email: info@proasyl.de
Web: www.proasyl.de
Hanau:
Refugee café
0049-(0)6181-184369
ag3f@comlink.org
Hamburg:
Café Exil
Spaldingstr. 41
Tel.: 0049(0)40-2368216
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 8-13
München:
All Refugee Camps in Bavaria have social workers from Caritas, Innere Mission or Diakonie. You can find them by asking refugees who they stay there longer where you can find them. Mostly you can find them by asking for “Caritas”.
Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat
Augsburgerstr.13
Tel: (0049)-(0)89-76 22 34
NETHERLANDS
Dutch Council for Refugees
Surinameplein 122
Postbus 2894, 1000 CW Amsterdam
T 0031 (020) 346 7266
F 0031 (020) 617 81 55
asielprocedure@vluchtelingenwerk.nl
www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl
NORWAY
Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS)
Pb. 8893 Youngstorget
0028 Oslo, Norway
Tel: 0047 22 36 56 60
Fax: 0047 22 36 56 61
e-mail: noas@noas.org
www.noas.org
SWEDEN
Stockholm:
E-mail: stockholm@ingenillegal.org
Tel: 0046 (0)762 – 44 33 12
http://www.ingenillegal.org/
Malmö:
E-mail: asylgruppenimalmo@gmail.com
Tel: 0046 (0)736 59 05 73
http://asylgruppenimalmo.org/
The Swedish Network of Asylum and Refugee Support Groups
(FARR):
Has local groups in several towns.
Phone: 0046 (0)225-147 77
E-mail: info@farr.se
www.farr.se
More information and contacts in Sweden: http://w2eu.info/sweden.en.html
SWITZERLAND
Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe
Weyermannsstrasse 10
3008 Bern
Tel.: 0041 (0)31 370 75 75
mail to: info@fluechtlingshilfe.ch
www.fluechtlingshilfe.ch
Solidarité sans frontières
Neuengasse 8
3011 Bern
Tel. 0041-(0)31 311 07 70
Fax: 0041-(0)31 311 07 75
Mail: secretariat@sosf.ch
UK
London:
Hackney Migrants Centre
Spensley Walk (near Clissold Park, off Stoke Newington Church
Street), Hackney N16 9ES
Tel. 0044 (0)7504 332 706
Open: Wednesdays 12.30-15:30
Refugee Action
240A Clapham Road
London SW9 OPZ
Tel: 0044 (0) 20 7735 5361
Fax: 0044 (0) 20 7587 3676
Web: www.refugee-action.org.uk
Refugee Council
240-260 Ferndale Road
London SW9 8BB
Tel: 0044 (0) 20 7346 6709
Fax: 0044 (0) 20 7346 6760
Email: info@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Web: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk
More information and contacts on UK/England: http://w2eu.info/uk.en.html
The information on this leaflet may have changed. Although we try to update it regularly, you should contact the local NGOs, lawyers or support-groups listed to be sure about what to expect. If, on your journey, you notice any changes that might be important for others, please inform us: contact@w2eu.info
Welcome to Europe is an antiracist network from Europe. We welcome all travellers on their difficult way to Europe. We provide information that can be useful on the journey to and through Europe, and want to give access to counselling and useful contacts in different European countries as well as a basic overview over the current laws and regulations concerning refugees and migrants. Many inhuman forces are at work at the outer borders of Europe: Refusal of entry, imprisonment and deportation. Nevertheless, every day people challenge the borders and the European anti-migration systems. Welcome To Europe wants to support all those on their way, seeking refuge or simply a better life. This leaflet provides first contact information for people traveling via Greece to Europe. More information can be found at our web-guide at:
http://w2eu.info.
„I can see clearly now what Europe looks like, that it sends its armies to fight us at the sea and puts us in awful prisons. Together we have to start a second journey to another safe place that might exist in the future.” (Eritrean woman, arriving on the island of Lesvos)
We want to wish all those on their way a good and safe journey.
Because freedom of movement is everybody‘s right!
W2EU