"D'Elvezia il tuo governo..."
institutional racism in Switzerland

Since last summer, the French-speaking Vaud canton in Switzerland, whose capital is Lausanne, has been the scene of a disgraceful affair featuring the federal government (led by politicians like the UDC's Blocher, an extremeright xenophobe and ultra-liberalist), the Vaud Council of State (which bows to the desires of patriots and racists, typical of the cowardly left which does not have the courage to break ranks) and 523 people, asylum seekers living in Switzerland's Vaud canton for several years (and including children born there). These people have been "chosen" for deportation - practically drawn from a hat out of a total of 1,200. 523 men, women and children, families and individuals who sought asylum here fleeing from dangerous situations in their own countries. Among these people are about 150 from Pristina in Kosovo, many of whom have lost their families, houses and friends there and for whom the thought of going back brings nightmares of violence and rape.

Our rulers consider them to be 523 blots on a page, faceless bodies who do not meet the hazy requirements to be accepted in this country of "tolerance" and chocolate: you must have a job, speak the language, integrate ... and your home country must still be unstable. So is Iraq considered stable, since the war has ended!?

523 forced journeys "home", months of struggle to counter this injustice, month after month these people (who have already got their time and date of departure) have to beg refuge and hospitality in parish halls specially set up for families at risk. Every month a different home and a different school for the children.

Mermoud, a UDC state council member, went to Bosnia to see if in effect the conditions necessary to re-patriate people exist, and in three days he decided that they did. Some feat, considering that the International Red Cross say it is out of the question.

The Vaud canton is the only Swiss canton which has implemented forced re-patriation for asylum seekers and it seems intent on going the whole hog. Even as far as using force and new devices such as electric shock batons on those who refuse to obey this inhuman law.

Over 13,000 signatures have been collected from people pledging to put up asylum-seekers in danger of expulsion. There have been demonstrations, direct actions, appeals from all corners of the canton and from every social sphere, occupations and sit-ins, all blithely ignored by the very people who could stop the re-patriations. Now, time is pressing. We do not know when the action will start.

Switzerland yet again is seen as an important training ground for repression in Europe and yet again shows it is up to the task!!

The whole world belongs to all of us! Stop the forced re-patriations!!

Zilvia

More info www.stoprenvoi.ch 

from Alternativa Libertaria Dec.04
News-sheet of the Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici