In the last months we have seen a lot of aggression and sometimes even violence by right wing groups against collective accommodation for refugees and we have also seen many left wing and human rights activists and many other parts of the civil society being active in defending collective accommodation for refugees and expressing their solidarity with refugees.
When refugees have to live in collective accommodation they are always exposed to violence, because it is segregating them from other parts of the society and this is making them vulnerable.
This is one of the reasons why we and many other refugee activists have been saying for many years: No Lager! We want to live like everybody else in flats!
We consider accommodation in Lagers to violate our rights because we cannot determine where and how we live. The authorities put us in buildings on the outskirts of the cities. Because of this segregation, many people tend to believe there is something wrong or something to be feared from the refugee community. Regardless of this the authorities all over the country are planning new Lagers and this is raising the tensions even more.
This pressure and the outside aggression also has an impact on the situation inside the Lager: It leads not only to depressions and stress but also to physical and psychological violence amongst the inhabitants. Women and Children are suffering most from this.
This is one of the reasons why we are saying: No Lager for Women!
In collective accommodation we have no privacy, no safe space. The rooms, the kitchens and sanitary facilities are shared by many people. Often refugee women have to go through long corridors to do their daily routines which other women do in the privacy of their own homes. This increases the risk to become a victim of harassment, assaults and violence and the daily life is influenced by fears.
Therefore we demand from all decision makers: Make it possible that refugee women get flats!
We demand from the federal government: Step back from your backward policies of the 90ies which have the aim to keep refugees from entering Germany or to force them to leave again. Abolish the nation-wide law on accommodation of refugees!
We demand from the state authorities: Give directives to the districts that they should accommodate refugees in flats – first of all the women and children!
We demand from the local authorities: Integrate refugees in your districts by giving them the choice to live in flats wherever they want!
We appeal to all feminist and women’s organisations who plan actions on the 25th of November, the international day against violence against women, to include the needs of refugee women and to put our demands on their agenda!
We as well appeal to all antiracist and human rights organisations to support our demands and to plan or join an action on the 25th of November.
