Help for Europe-Roma - British Immigration Controls in the Czech Republic
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Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 16:50:13 +0300 (EEST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Help for Europe-Roma - British Immigration Controls in the Czech Republic
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Ariel Eliyahu <[email protected]>
Help for Europe-Roma - British Immigration Controls in the
Czech Republic
STOP O DUITO PORAJMOS - STOP THE SECOND HOLOCAUST
This is being forwarded to you at the request of Ladislav Balaz,
chairman of Europe-Roma.
Concerned at the re-imposition of controls at Prague Airport,
Europe-Roma and others are holding a demonstration on 4 SEPTEMBER
under the title "STOP o DUITO PORAJMOS" - "STOP THE SECOND HOLOCAUST"
This is the second demonstration against the rising tide of racial
attacks and officially sanctioned harassment in Europe.
Please, support us by protesting to the Czech Government and UK over
the Prague Airport immigration controls and the mass deporations from
Britain.
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ORIGINAL SENDER: Ladislav Balaz <[email protected]>
Dear friends,
I'm writing for your help. I would like to call on all organisations
helping refugees in the UK to help Europe-Roma.
I have attached a copy of the petition which was presented the Czech
Ambassador on the day of the joint demonstration held on 6th of
August. Petitions were also presented to the Slovak and Polish
Embassies. This was a joint action taken with Roma organisations in
London and was attended by members of the Eastern European press who
reported on the protest.
Following the protest, on the 9-th of August the British Government
withdrew their Immigrations Officers from Prague but today it was
announced that the British Immigration Office is once again posting
officers at Ruzyne Airport in Prague and sending Roma people back
before they can leave the country. This was announced by Czech TV 1 -
in today's evening broadcast.
The Czech Government do not understand how to deal with racism against
Roma people in the Czech Republic and they continue to represent
asylum seekers as 'economic' refugees in order to make it possible
for the government to join the European Union.
I would be grateful for any help you can give us in publicising this
information. Please call me if you would like any further information.
Regards,
Mr. Ladislav Balaz
Chair, Europe-Roma
TEL: + 44 - ( 0 ) 20 8802 7496
MOBILE: + 44 - ( 0 ) 78 1269 4347
*******************************************************************
PETITION
Petition to the Czech Ambassador,
zech and Slovak Embassies
25 Kensington Palace Road
London W8
from Europe Roma Organisation UK
on behalf of Czech Roma in the UK
Dear Ambassador,
We call on the Czech Government and institutions to work with Roma and
all communities to do more for human rights of all people living in
the Czech Republic.
At present the Czech Government is doing nothing effective to help
Roma people under attack.
The Czech Government has been in long-term negotiation with the
British Government to stop and discredit Roma asylum seekers. They
have entered into an agreement with Great Britain allowing British
immigration officials to set up a post at Ruzyne airport in Prague.
Some 50 passengers, mostly Roma, have been turned back since the
program was initiated last week.
Last week a Holocaust Memorial Day commemorated Roma people who
perished at Osvetim (Auschwitz). The Czech Government did not send a
representative or even a wreath to mark the suffering of Roma people.
Racist attacks on Roma people in the Czech Republic continue.
On the June 30th three friends were stabbed in the street in Ostrava.
At least 4 skinheads (from 17 to 20 years) from Ostrava and Opava
attacked three young men (at least 2 of them Roma) in a pedestrian
subway/underpass of a highway. One of the attacked was badly stabbed
with a knife, where doctors were fighting for his life. Another of the
three ended up in hospital with burns and lacerated wounds in the
face.
On July 13 2001 in the early morning three men (17,18 and 20) attacked
a Romani family in the 1st floor of a house in DukelskA st. in the
North-West-Bohemian town AS. On the July 21st there was another murder
of a Roma man, in the East Bohemian town of Svitavy.
How many more Roma people must die before the Czech Government takes
action?
Roma people must have representation in the Czech police force. The
racism endemic in the Czech police cannot change until the Czech
government allows Roma people the right to join the police force.
Racism is not just a European problem and every government has a duty
to tackle and destroy racism in it's own country.
Europe Roma Organisation UK
Monday 6-th August 2001
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