On December 29th we held a spontaneous manifestation in front of the initial reception center Nostorf-Horst to protest against the racist complete lockdown of the camp. About 20 people have gathered in the parking lot in front of the facility. We expressed our solidarity with speeches in several languages.
Here you find our statement for the press.
Statement of someone living in Horst
The situation in Horst is very bad in general. There are two very important things, that are difficult for all of us:
1. The food in the cantine. The food is not very tasteful and we have to eat it again and again, repeatedly the same. Also some people will not feed their hunger with that food. If you go there and tell them, they will only give you two more slices of Wurst and Käse. The working staff there is often very unfriendly. They control our bags, if they are suspicious that we took food to the outside.
2. The medical care. We don't have a doctor here in the camp, only two nurses. What they tell us most is: "This is too expensive. We cant pay that treatment for you." The situation here is humiliating, as we expected that medical care would be available and a simple thing in Germany. One of that nurses refuses to speak english to us. But we dont understand German, because we are not here very long. So we do not understand, what she tells us.
Now in the Corona quarantine things become more difficult. The tension is rising, so some people cannot leave their rooms to avoid any trouble. But also sometimes its difficult with the people you share a room with. We are trying not to become sick, because in the real quarantine building its even more strict and more boring.
They tell us, everyone here might be infected. They put us in quarantine, but still we have to work for them. It's refugees, who clean the toilets and also some people work in the kitchen. That doesn'nt make any sense, if we might be infected. So why they put us in quarantine?
Please, use my message anonymous. I don't want to get any trouble here. But the situation is bad and I feel like I have to tell someone.
What people in Horst already said 10 years ago
Why we make this manifestation
Dear friends and people living in Horst,
we are here today, because we want to express our solidarity with you in this unbearable situation. This Lockdown of Horst is wrong. It is a racist procedure, that shows, how ignorant the responsible people are about the situation in Horst.
We want to show you, that there ARE people, who do not accept all the things here in Horst. Horst is far away and we have a higher risk of Corona these days, thats why we are only few people here. But be sure: Behind us are many people, who also do not accept this camp Horst. Now and in general.
Why the Shutdown is racist
Right now we can see very clearly the racist thinking of the authorities.
They lock you up here in Horst, because there have been some cases of Corona inside. This would not be happening in other situations. For example: If there is a Corona case in a school class, they only send persons to quarantine, who had direct contact with the sick child.
You see, they are giving different rules for you than for other people in the society. This is, what we call racist on the one hand.
On the other hand: Racism roots in the dehumanization of people. They start this in that moment, where they don't treat you like individuals. Where they put all of you under a general suspicion to be infected with corona - and not ask each single person, if he or she had close contact with an infected person.
Right now, with their general decree to lock you up in Horst they say: Everyone of you might be dangerous for the society outside spreading Corona. They give a higher value to the health of people outside than to your health. You are locked up within the risk.
"Everyone has the right to life and physical integrity". This is written in the German constitution.
We claim, that this fundamental right applies for everyone!
We claim: Transfer for all - not imprisonment for all!
Why nobody seems to care?
Read the full speech here
We have many people and institutions involved in this lockdown here: Probably everyone of them will tell you "Its not our fault. We are not the responsibles". This is what the authorities tell and tell since years and years, when there are critical voices about the situation here. Nobody is responsible - and yet all this is happening. This we call an organized unresponsibility.
The German government decided to make racist laws. They decided to build camps like Horst. They call them "AnkER-Zentren". Their basic idea is to make living here so uncomfortable, that people return "voluntary" to the countries they have left for a good reason.
The Ministry for Interior Affairs of Mecklenburg and Landesamt für innere Verwaltung decided to accept these laws. They decided to force you living here for up to 2 years. They decide every single day to ignore the pressure and the violance people here face everyday and to keep that fucked up system alive.
The operator of the camp decided to make money within this system. They also decide repeatingly to ignore complaints instead of turning them into political action against a system, where "social work" is actually impossible. A system, that violates the rights of children, the rights of women, the rights of vulnerable people. A system, that creates depression, fear and loneliness.
And right now in the situation of corona, there is additional the Health Department of Ludwigslust-Parchim. They decided its ok to force people to live in Horst during Corona - though there is a risk for infection, which is 6 times higher than outside. Now, after several cases of corona, they decided: The risk of infection is too high - so they lock you up in there.
This makes only sense for people, who accept the general racist institution of collective camps for Refugees.
There are many people involved here in Horst. Nobody wants to be responsible, but yet they all together are responsible.
There are also people, who want to stand up and speak out loud about this situation. We are here, because we cannot accept whats happening here ethically. Our symbol to be here today is a little symbol. But an important step to raise awareness in this society for this place Horst, that they hide away in the forest.
And there is also you. When we look into German history, we can see very clearly: Working against racism here was always rooted in targeted people speaking up. Google "Refugee tent action" or "hunger strike Horst". There have been people standing up for their rights. They had success. Ten years ago things started to change. But with more right wing politicians entering the parliaments these achievements got lost again.
What needs to change
There are plenty things, that need to change.
- Horst has to be abolished in general!
- The racist laws have to be abolished!
- We need IMMEDIATELEY transfer for all of you!
To change this, we need to change our society first.
- We need to raise awareness for the situation of you people here! We will be happy if some of you decide to speak up and contact us after this manifestation.
- We have to make sure, that the fundamental right of equality applies for everyone here - there are no exeptions and no excuses!
- We need to find more ways to show solidarity for each other and speak up for injustice, also when it is not targeting us directly!
- And last but not least: We have to understand, that we can only overcome racism, when we show unity! We can only be free, when every single person is free.