Geen vluchteling op straat of in de cel

Last Saturday over 2000 people participated in the demonstration in Amsterdam to support the refugees’ struggle for a normal life.

Every year the asylum requests of thousands of refugees are denied. According to the Dutch state these people are supposed to return to their country of origin. However, in many cases this is impossible: their country of origin does not provide them with the correct documents, refuses them entrance, or they have to return to countries which are unsafe according to independent organisations such as Amnesty International.

The refugees are declared ‘illegal’ and made into homeless people without rights, with no access to healthcare, education, work and protection. Every day they face imprisonment and deportation. They are not treated as human beings.

The conditions in which refugees are being detained in the Netherlands are worse than those faced by criminals. Refugees can be incarcerated for up to 18 months without having committed a crime. The new government wants to criminalize illegality. But refugees are no criminals and should not be treated as such!

During the last decades many Dutch organisations have resisted Dutch immigration policy. Since 2011 several refugees groups have made their struggle publicly visible by establishing protest camps. However, no progress has been made in improving the Dutch immigration policy.

No refugees in the street or in jail

I want a normal life

No refugees in the street or in jail

stop unnecessary kills – residence rights for all refugees

fight against racism

you don’t flee for fun

we are not afraid, we are together