“Mos Maiorum”: Yet another criminalization of people on the run
On the 13th of October, a large-scale European police operation starts that targets undocumented migrants.
It has become a tradition. Each time a country receives the presidency of the EU, it launches a large-scale action against migrants. Coincidence or not, with Latin or Old Greek names. Aerodromos, Aphrodite, Perkunas are the names of the actions of Greece, Cyprus and Lithuania respectively during their presidencies.
On the 10th of July, not even two weeks after Italy got the presidency of the EU, a police operation was announced. This action will be led by the Italian Ministry of Interior Affairs in ‘close cooperation’ with Frontex, Europol and the Schengen member states. The action received the name Mos Maiorum, which literally means ‘custom of the ancestors’. It refers to the first centuries of the Roman Republic.
In not one European media, mainstream or alternative, nor from any politician, have you heard about Mos Maiorum. In practice, between the 13th and 26th of October, approximately 20.000 police officers will be deployed in operations ranging from increasing checks in airports, stations, trains, highways to house searches. The main aim is to gain a better insight in the migration routes and to arrest as many undocumented migrants as possible.
The operation is presented as prevention against organized crime and human trafficking, but we know from the past that this is just an excuse. During previous operations, practically no human traffickers were arrested; only undocumented migrants who ended up in detention centers and ultimately were deported. In addition, Europe wants to extend the databases of Frontex and Europol through these kinds of operations.
Refugees are seen as a threat. The new migration streams are presented as questions of security and criminality while they are a consequence of wars and conflicts, especially in the Middle East and Africa.
Since World War II, there has never been these many refugees. According to numbers of the United Nations, there are 51 million refugees. Only in 2013, 17 million people were on the run. In Europe, we are convinced that all refugees of the world are coming here. However, in 2013, there were only 435.385 applications for asylum in the 28 European member states. Not that big of a deal.
On the other hand, Europe is the most dangerous destination for people on the run. According to research, since 2000 at least 40.000 migrants lost their lives on the way to Europe. The Mediterranean Sea has become a mass grave. This has to do with Fortress Europe. European countries and the EU have invested billions of Euros to protect their borders. In the buffer zone around the EU approximately 2 billion Euros were invested. Frontex received in 2013 as much as 85 million Euro. Europe launched last year Eurosur, in charge of the European border control, which will receive during the next 6 years approximately 250 million Euro. The number of cameras and kilometers of fences on the European borders is exaggerated. Tens of thousands of border patrols were hired to be based at the borders, from Bulgaria to Spain. In countries as the UK, Hungary and Austria, refugees are locked up in jails. In Greece, Malta, Poland and Bulgaria even non-accompanied minor asylum-seekers are locked up.
The security and criminalization policies that Europe is executing and operations such as Mos Maiorum are a violation of the European Agreement to protect human rights, in particular the right to freedom and security. According to researchers and refugee organizations, human traffickers are the ones that take advantage of the current European policy. As soon as a route is closed, the smugglers are looking for new routes that are more dangerous and more expensive for migrants.
It is evident that action should be taken against human traffickers. But to achieve this, operations such as Mos Maiorum are not necessary. There are sufficient laws at the level of states and at the European level to tackle crime. Police and justice need to be more effective. The top persons of human trafficking are still walking the streets and we know who they are.
There are millions of people on the run because of wars, but since recently the amount of refugees is even greater because of natural disasters. The billions of Euros that are spent on the security of borders, could be used to establish legal trajectories to Europe. By enabling safe access routes, not only more lives will be saved, but it will also help to fight human trafficking.
The current European policy considers migrants as a threat, but without them Europe would be in an even deeper crisis. Tens of recent reports and researchers demonstrate that migrants play a crucial role in the European economy. In the UK, for instance, migrants have contributed 32 billion Euros to the economy. In the new Swedish government, there are four ministers with a migration background. Aida Hadzialic arrived at the age of 5 as a refugee from Bosnia and at age 26 she is the youngest minister in the government. Migrants are people who want an opportunity, but today these opportunities are taken away by Europe, while it actually really needs these people.
Bleri Lleshi is a political philosopher and author of various books.
Translated to English from Dutch by Natalie Lefevre
http://blerilleshi.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/Bleri.Lleshi
@blerilleshi
EU-wide crackdown on irregular immigration on the way
Africa-news.eu
Human rights organisations have strongly condemned the EU’s plan to launch a massive EU-wide police operation called “MOS MAIORUM” to hunt irregular immigrants from 13th to 26th October 2014.
The operation, which was approved by the Council of the European Union on 10th July 2014, will be implemented in the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
According to the Council of the European Union, the “MOS MAIORUM” operation will be “aiming at weakening the capacity of organized crime groups to facilitate illegal immigration to the EU and will be focusing on illegal border crossing.”
It will also be used “to collect information for intelligence and investigation purposes, regarding the main routes followed by migrants to enter in the common area and the modus operandi used by crime networks to smuggle people towards the EU territory, focusing also on the secondary movements.”
COSPE (Co-operation for the Development of Emerging Countries), an Italian non-profit association condemned the operation “MOS MAIORUM” and asked the Italian government not to prosecute the people rescued from drowning by the Mare-Nostrum operation.
It further urged the Italian government to avoid participating in this “inhumane and unnecessary” operation.
In a joint statement, organizations of Filipino migrants and advocates for migrants rights across Europe said they were concerned that “MOS MAIORUM” operation would be “used to indiscriminately round up irregular migrants who are merely doing socially necessary work that benefits the countries in Europe. “
They accused the “erroneous policies stemming from xenophobia and narrow nationalism instigated by extreme right-wing and neo-fascist political parties,” of forcing many to become irregular immigrants.
“Instead of deporting them and treating them as criminals, their irregular status should in fact be immediately rectified because it makes them vulnerable to abuse,” the organisations said.
In order to avoid arrest and deportation, human rights organisations are advising irregular immigrants to keep a low profile from 13th to 26th October 2014. They are advised to avoid places mainly frequented by immigrants. They are also advised to avoid places such as airports, highways, railway stations, subway stations, etc.
By Stephen Ogongo Ongong’a
http://www.africa-news.eu/immigration-news/italy/6267-eu-wide-crackdown-on-irregular-immigration-on-the-way-advice-for-irregular-immigrants.html
Message of Solidarity to the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany on its 20th anniversary
1 October 2014
The International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) – Europe, sends its most militant greetings and solidarity with our comrades in struggle in the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany, as they celebrate their 20 years of tirelessly fighting for the rights of refugees in Germany and against racism, discrimination, human rights violations, fascism and corporate totalitarianism.
The events and activities around the anniversary theme “Unite against Deportation and against Social Exclusion in Germany” are a continuing testimony to the organization’s steel determination, humanitarian vision, deep respect for human dignity and appreciation for the political empowerment of the exploited and oppressed.
It has been an absolute privilege for the IMA-Europe to have worked with and cooperated with the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany. That solidarity has provided the IMA-Europe with a deeper grasp and appreciation of the bigger social, economic and political realities engulfing the lives of the so-called uprooted people – the basic reality not only of struggling for migrant rights in countries of the diaspora, but also and more importantly, the struggle for genuine freedom, democracy, social justice, development and peace in the migrants’ home countries.
The Voice Refugee Forum of Germany provided the IMA-Europe the opportunity to touch base with the human beings forced out of their homes and countries because of political reasons, which under present conditions are driven by aggression instigated by advanced capitalist and racist coutries of the west in their selfish lust to exploit and plunder the people and resources of the planet.
The plight of the refugees, has clearly delineated and spelled out to those in the thick of the struggle for migrant rights, the parallelisms in the global migration and the very same endresults that both refugees and migrants find themselves in – violations of their human rights, the same poverty and misery, exploitation and oppression in places where they have been forced to seek refuge and to migrate. And yet, bourgeois-defined international laws do not reflect reality on the ground by making cruel distinctions between refugees and migrants, and treat them according to those definitions.
Indeed, the unity that binds together the refugees represented by the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany and the migrants represented by the International Migrants Alliance, is the struggle for comprehensive social change, an end to racism and discrimination, and building a world without exploitation and oppression.
That solidarity will be further fleshed out as we persevere and stand firmly determined in our resistance struggles and in forging ahead in strengthening the international progressive movement of migrants and refugees. As part of the progressive movement of migrants and refugees, it is both a challenge and a task for all of us to forge a higher unity and solidarity as we confront political persecution, economic exploitation, social exclusion, and opppression.
Together, we shall be able to strengthen our solidarity, forge ahead, gain greater victories in our struggles, and achieve a world we all dream of – a world abounding with genuine equality, social justice, economic bounty, and lasting peace!
Long live the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany on its 20 years of struggle and resistance!
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the progressive movement of Migrants and Refugees!
Luz Miriam Jaramillo
Comitato-Italy
Chair, International Migrants Alliance-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member
Grace Punongbayan
Migrante Europe
Secretary-General, IMA-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member
dlm/30092014
The events and activities around the anniversary theme “Unite against Deportation and against Social Exclusion in Germany” are a continuing testimony to the organization’s steel determination, humanitarian vision, deep respect for human dignity and appreciation for the political empowerment of the exploited and oppressed.
It has been an absolute privilege for the IMA-Europe to have worked with and cooperated with the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany. That solidarity has provided the IMA-Europe with a deeper grasp and appreciation of the bigger social, economic and political realities engulfing the lives of the so-called uprooted people – the basic reality not only of struggling for migrant rights in countries of the diaspora, but also and more importantly, the struggle for genuine freedom, democracy, social justice, development and peace in the migrants’ home countries.
The Voice Refugee Forum of Germany provided the IMA-Europe the opportunity to touch base with the human beings forced out of their homes and countries because of political reasons, which under present conditions are driven by aggression instigated by advanced capitalist and racist coutries of the west in their selfish lust to exploit and plunder the people and resources of the planet.
The plight of the refugees, has clearly delineated and spelled out to those in the thick of the struggle for migrant rights, the parallelisms in the global migration and the very same endresults that both refugees and migrants find themselves in – violations of their human rights, the same poverty and misery, exploitation and oppression in places where they have been forced to seek refuge and to migrate. And yet, bourgeois-defined international laws do not reflect reality on the ground by making cruel distinctions between refugees and migrants, and treat them according to those definitions.
Indeed, the unity that binds together the refugees represented by the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany and the migrants represented by the International Migrants Alliance, is the struggle for comprehensive social change, an end to racism and discrimination, and building a world without exploitation and oppression.
That solidarity will be further fleshed out as we persevere and stand firmly determined in our resistance struggles and in forging ahead in strengthening the international progressive movement of migrants and refugees. As part of the progressive movement of migrants and refugees, it is both a challenge and a task for all of us to forge a higher unity and solidarity as we confront political persecution, economic exploitation, social exclusion, and opppression.
Together, we shall be able to strengthen our solidarity, forge ahead, gain greater victories in our struggles, and achieve a world we all dream of – a world abounding with genuine equality, social justice, economic bounty, and lasting peace!
Long live the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany on its 20 years of struggle and resistance!
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the progressive movement of Migrants and Refugees!
Luz Miriam Jaramillo
Comitato-Italy
Chair, International Migrants Alliance-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member
Grace Punongbayan
Migrante Europe
Secretary-General, IMA-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member
dlm/30092014 More protests vs. human rights and corruption continue to hound BS Aquino in Paris, Berlin, Rome and Vienna
Activists in Paris say “oui!” to oust Aquino; Spanish organizations assail Aquino
20 September 2014 More protests greeted BS Aquino as he swings around Europe, this time in Paris, France. According to Cora Guibernas, a member of the Nagkakaisang Pilipino Sans Papier (NPSP) in Paris, France, which belongs to the MIGRANTE Europe network, Aquino was taken aback when several French solidarity activists for the Philippines and NPSP members raised posters and a big tarpaulin of Aquino’s face with the words “Human rights violator” and “Pork barrel king” as he was greeting compatriots outside the church venue where he was to deliver a speech. A major Philippine TV network showed Aquino surprised and was immediately whisked away by his security when he saw the protesters.
“Aquino was exposed for his lies about his human rights record and his scandalous corruption as he swings around Europe. Our problems and plight are not in the agenda of Aquino, especially us Filipinos here in France who always face the threat of arrest and deportation because many of us are undocumented”, Guibernas stressed.
To emphasize the point that the situation in the Philippines is even worse now under Aquino, Guibernas cited records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) report that 1.8 million Filipinos left the country for work in 2013 which is equivalent to a record 5,031 leaving the country every day. This is more than the daily average of 4,937 leaving in 2012, she said.
Filipinos protest even in Italy and Austria
Even in countries such as Italy and Austria which BS Aquino avoided during his European junket, Filipinos conducted protest actions. In Rome, Italy, members of Umangat-MIgrante held a picket infront of the Philippine embassy in Rome last September 19, to protest OWWAs anti-migrant policies, Aquino’s human rights record and continued use of pork barrel which the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional.
In Austria, Migrante Austria wrote an open letter to the Filipino people to coincide with the Europe visit of Aquino.
In the letter, copies furnished to the European Parliament president Martin Shulz, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Migrante Austria denounced BS Aquino’s European tour as “a costly junket, an absolute waste of time and money”. It said Aquino lacks the dignity and integrity needed to effectively foster better relations with foreign governments.
“He has a human rights record that is incompatible with democracy. From July 2010 to March 2014, Karapatan, a Philippine-based human rights watchdog, has documented cases of 192 victims of extrajudicial killings, 21 cases of enforced disappearance, 94 of torture and 631 cases of illegal arrests and detention. Included in these figures are twenty-six journalists reportedly murdered since President Aquino took office. It is no wonder that the Asian Human Rights Commission ranked the Philippines as the 3rd most dangerous place for journalists and activists – from trade union activists to human rights defenders alike. We underscore the fact that up to now there is still no justice for two European citizens murdered under Aquino’s counterinsurgency scheme — missionaries Fr. Pops Tentorio of Italy and Willem Geertman of the Netherlands. All of these are attributable to his Oplan Bayanihan,” Migrante Austria said.
Migrante Austria adds: He remains deaf and blind to the plight of an ever-growing number of Filipinos who are exploited cruelly as undocumented domestic helpers here in Europe and any other place imaginable or even risk their lives in war- torn countries rather than return to the Philippines. This is the harsh indication of Aquino’s Labor Export Policy (LEP) failure to uplift the economy and solve unemployment and poverty in the Philippines.
Biggest organizations in Spain express concern over human rights and corruption under Aquino
In Spain, nine big national organizations, led by the APDHE (Human Rights Association of Spain), which holds consultative status to the ECOSOC of the United Nations, wrote a strongly-worded letter to BS Aquino in time for his visit in that country last September 14-15.
The letter was personally delivered to the Philippine embassy in Madrid by Hon. Mauricio Ots, a member of the regional parliament in Madrid representing the Izquireda Unida political party, on the day of Aquino’s visit.
In the letter, the Spanish organizations expressed deep concern about the human rights situation in the Philippines.
“From July 2010 (the year of his presidential inauguration) until June 2014, 204 extrajudicial executions; 21 forced disappearances, 99 cases of torture; 207 of frustrated extrajudicial killings, 664 illegal arrests and detentions; 39,800 forced evictions; 65,712 cases of threats, harassment and intimidation; 141,490 cases of using civilians as a human shield or guide for the armed or security forces; 141,490 cases of military use of public places such as schools, medical or religious centers, were documented,” the Spanish organizations said.
They asked Aquino to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, end pork barrel corruption and account for the monies his government received for the victims of typhoon Haiyan.
The organizations that signed the letter were: APDHE (Human Rights Association of Spain), COMADEHCO (Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Colombia), ICID (Initiatives for International Cooperation for Development), IEPALA (Institute of Political Studies for Latin America and Africa), IU (United Left), Justice for Colombia, OSPAAL (Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America), GM-Greens Confederation, CDHHG (Human Rights Commission Hispano-Guatemala).
Filipinos and Germans in Berlin join protests
Filipinos and Germans in Berlin, Germany also joined the bandwagon of protests during Aquino’s visit to Germany, Sept. 19-20, the last leg of his Europe junket. The German-Philippine Solidarity Group, the MLPD party, the Concerned Filipino-Germans in Berlin and Filipino Scholars in Berlin conducted the protests.
BS Aquino leaves Europe Sept. 20 for the United States leg of his foreign junket where more protests are expected to greet him there.#
Reference:
Grace Punongbayan
MIGRANTE Europe
[email protected]
+31633056411 Protesters hound BS Aquino in Belgium over his dirty record on human rights and corruption
Progressive Filipinos and their Belgian solidarity friends picketed President BS Aquino as he delivered a speech at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels, Belgium yesterday Sept. 16.
The protest picket was spearheaded by Migrante Europe and joined by members of the Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) and the Belgian solidarity organization INTAL. The protesters carried placards that stated: BS Aquino human rights violator, Aquino king of thieves, Keep off disaster funds, Justice for Willem Geertman and Fr. Pops Tentorio, and No to EDCA!
They also distributed the statement “Enough of BS Aquino, Corrupt and Brutal Ruler! Never again to another Marcos dictatorship”, which was signed jointly by several European human rights, solidarity and Filipino organizations across Europe.
Queried by the media covering the event, Rev. Cesar Taguba of Migrante Europe asserted: “We are here to raise concerns over the corruption, human rights abuses and tyranny of Aquino.” He said Aquino is misinforming the EU about the real situation in the Philippines and that the protest is one way of exposing this.
According to Reverend Taguba, BS Aquino obviously took the backdoor to enter the venue to avoid the protesters. The meeting, he said, was supposed to start at 6:30 pm, but Aquino’s entourage delayed their arrival at the venue at around 6:50 pm.
The protesters shouted such slogans as “Noynoy, shame on you!” BS Aquino, Taguba stressed, could not hide his regime’s corruption, human rights violations, puppetry to the US and trying to follow Marcos with his term extension scheme, during this Europe visit.
Inside the Egmont Institute, one of the members of INTAL Brussels Philippine Group who listened to BS Aquino’s speech, questioned Aquino on his human rights record, during the question and answer that followed.
“I am delighted to hear that the protection of human rights is part of your government program. Because the numbers are not good: 204 activists murdered, 208 others in prison, 21 cases of enforced disappearances … all since the beginning of your presidency,” Johan of INTAL said.
Another INTAL participant in the Egmont meeting, Fanny Polet, writing on her blog afterwards said: “He (Aquino) also answered to another question about the economic partnership agreement, ensuring us of his will to accelerate it. This is not really something we are looking forward to, when we see the social damages such a policy would give rise to…..” She said critical leaflets for distribution titled “Time for President Aquino to tackle the Philippines’ dirty, open secret” and “Stop torture”, made their way on the registration table at the Institute.
A team of Belgian policemen tried to disperse the picket, but the protesters stood their ground and asserted their right to express their views over serious developments in the Philippines.
Major Filipino news channels (GMA News, TV5, ABS-CBN) covered the protest. However, two Filipino media persons were harassed and almost prevented from entering the Egmont Institute by Aquino’s security personnel after they were allegedly observed “sympathizing” with the protesters.#
Reference:
Grace Punongbayan
MIGRANTE Europe
[email protected]
+31-6-33056411
[photos by Jon Bustamante]
[av_gallery ids=’3239,3240,3241,3242,3243,3245,3246,3247,3248,3249,3250′ style=’thumbnails’ preview_size=’portfolio’ crop_big_preview_thumbnail=’avia-gallery-big-crop-thumb’ thumb_size=’portfolio’ columns=’5′ imagelink=’lightbox’ lazyload=’avia_lazyload’] Press Statement on the visit of Benigno Aquino to France
17 September 2014
On the 17th of September, Philippine president Benigno Aquino III has visited Paris, in the larger context of a trip to four European countries – Spain, Belgium, France and Germany.
In an attempt to ensure international support for his government’s future plans he has met up with Francois Hollande and Emmanuel Valls. He also passed by the chapel Sainte-Bernadette and the Embassy of the Philippines. According to official statements Aquino’s goals in France are to dialogue with the Filipino community, bilateral discussions with France’s government and the signing of the “Philippines-France Defense Cooperation Agreement”.
He also wants to thank France for its support to the victims of cyclone “Yolanda” or “Haiyan” This seems to be a usual, harmless official visit, yet put into context there is another image that presents itself.
It is a fact that the money European countries raised to help the victims of the storm has at a large scale never reached the victims themselves. It has disappeared, although when it reappears, it does in the form of pork barrels or on private bank accounts of the Aquino-Clan and its close friends which is not hard to understand, knowing that Aquino, in his position as president of the Philippines, has direct and absolute control over public funds.
There is still over 15.000 people living in tent camps because their houses were not rebuilt after the storm and there are many farmers, whose harvests were destroyed and who did not get one centavo of help, to overcome their misery, not to talk about the general population. Under those terms it is cynic of B.S. Aquino to thank France for its help, like a bank robber who thanks the director of the bank he robbed for his kindness and compassion.
As well it is a slap in the face of all the Filipinas and Filipinos working overseas because it is them who actually helped the cyclone victims, by sending money to the Philippines for that they worked hard in foreign countries. That by itself would legitimize protest and resistance against Aquino and his government, but there is worse!
In the recent past Aquino has announced plans to extend his presidential term by modifying the constitution, although in the history of the Philippines there has already been one dictator that started his bloody and cruel reign by doing exactly that – giving himself a longer term.
Today, this seems to be any dictator-to-be’s method of choice to start out his career. Internationally there could be negative reactions to those political developments, therefore Aquino checks and measures his allies’ reactions in the forehand to avoid a critical loss of international support during his way to absolute power. As well there is no lack of preparation to militarily oppress protest movements. With the signing of the “Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” U.S. Troops can now be stationed on the Philippines in higher numbers and on a larger horizontal scale. The planned signing of the “France-Philippines Defense Cooperation Agreement”, including arms deals, logistical and educational support adds up to the overall accelerating militarization under the Aquino government.
Finally, in the last years, international human rights organizations have documented a fast growing number of human rights violations, from extrajudicial killings and torture to illegal detention. This development can and has to be seen as a possible preparation of the Aquino-Clan to defend itself against a growing Filipino opposition.
Due to those reasons we are calling upon all Filipino migrants in France and elsewhere to organize themselves to oppose this government. Righteously so, Aquino calls his government ‘daang matuwid’ because it leads straight into dictatorship and misery.
We are not powerless, even overseas. If there is a strong opposition against Aquino in the European countries, he will probably lose international support, which would make a big difference to the Philippines’ political development and to the Philippines’ history that will be written in the years to come.
As a start, we staged a protest yesterday at the Chapel “Sainte Bernadette” – speaking out loudly against corruption and human rights violations!
Signed:
Concerned Filipinos in France