AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE ASYLUM SEEKERS OF RATHENOW

TO THE AUTORITIES IN THE FEDERAL STATE OF BRANDENBURG

Two years have now passed since the asylum seekers in the city of Rathenow (Havelland) denounced the hopeless situation they are facing.

Due to endless racist attacks of the Neo-Nazis (mainly) on the asylum seekers, they addressed a series of Memoranda to the local authorities, voicing concern about the situation.

Our demand then, to the authorities, was the guaranty of our security in the state. As it was contained in one of the petitions: "....if the authorities can not guaranty our security in the city of Rathenow, if the Neo-nazis can not be controlled, if the Geneva convention of 1951 could not be respected, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take us somewhere in German, where our lives could be secured............."

The answer from the authorities to our demand today, sounds to us like "English Humour".

The asylum seekers are today, object of a double security system, which instead of protecting them, harasses and refuses them all rights.

Maximum Security is at its peack at the asylum camp in Rathenow:

• The old, primitive surveillance cameras are being replaced (and partly doubled ) with brand new sophisticated cameras, to control the movement of the asylum seekers,
• Our friends now have little chance to pay us visits in the house, because of the restrictive and humiliating treatment being metted to them by the officers-in-charge;
• as if all these is not enough, the security of the house is in the hand of the well known ex Neo-Nazi group "Zarnikow"; and worst of all, visits are forbidden at 10PM,
• The Heimleitung, duplicate our keys, which ensures them access to our rooms at will; even in the presence of our spouses, violating our right of privacy,
• Our letters are being opened and read before we receive them, in answer to our complains, the Heimleitung told us that, the Ministerial directive for "Rasterfahndung" obliges,
• And it's a pity that the Heimleitung do not speak any foreign language yet they're dealing with people coming from various countries. A key factor that explain the latent agression of the officers-in-charge.

We, the asylum seekers in the city of Rathenow are getting more and more frustrated by day, asking ourselves what we did wrong to deserve the ill-treatment.

We are therefore appealing to the Government of Brandenburg to always see us first as human beings in spite of our status as asylum seekers. And most of all, the Government of Brandenburg should not limit our basic Human Rights as stated in the German Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For this reason, we are once again demanding the transfer of all the asylum seekers, living in Rathenow away from Brandenburg.

We count on the co-operation of your high offices.

Thanks.

Rathenow, 01. 07. 02

Copies to:

• Head Office of AWO
• The Heimleitung of the asylum camp in Rathenow
• The District of Havelland
• The State of Brandenburg
• The German parliament (Der Bundestag, Innen und Menschen Rechte)
• Churches
• International Human Right Oraganisations
• Amnesty International
• UNHCR
• The Media