The documentary The Awakening by Kenan Emini from Roma Antidiscrimination Network shows sequences of Roma‘s political and social situation throughout Europe. The film is a work in progress, and is consistently changed to meet current events, while the film‘s fundamental issues don‘t change: the Roma‘s fight for the right to stay, the consequences of deportation (esp. for children and adolescents) as well as the shift to the right in Europe.
Due to their economically marginalised situation, Romani people are stigmatised and treated as economic migrants[1] in Germany. Their poverty is perceived as self-inflicted, and hence discrimination is legitimised. Usually, it is overlooked that their socio-economic situation is a consequence of war and persistent social exclusion.
When nationalism grew strong during the breakup of Yugoslavia, Romani people were among its main victims. Many fled already during the first Yogoslav Wars in the 1990s. But it is mainly the Kosovo War, conducted by NATO also with German support, that still casts its shadows. The Roma‘s houses have been destroyed by the bombing or expropriated by the majority society, and a lot of Romani people have been displaced from their country.
There is no future for Romani people in former Yugoslavia. It is important to know these backgrounds to understand the actual situation and to see the Roma‘s fights against deportation in the right light.
The occupation of the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism
in Berlin is one example for these fights shown in the film. In May 2016, 50 Roma protested against their deportation at this place, that is to commemorate persecution and genocide. At night, the occupation was violently cleared by the police, and virtually all protesting Roma have been deported by now.
Also, by declaring six countries of former Yugoslavia as „safe states of origin“, Germany shows a lack of historical awareness. The right to asylum is thereby annulled for the affected people, mostly Roma, and deportation is facilitated. These countries aren‘t safe for Roma. The film shows, that poverty, marginalisation and discrimination are commonplace for them. Their children, born and socialised in Germany, are deprived of their future. Many of them won‘t go to school ever again, because few of them hardly speak the local language.
The film shows, that the rise of right-wing political movements and parties in Europe is also affecting Roma in a way that they are the victims of nationalist attacks and other human rights violations.
Almost 30 years have passed since the beginning of wars in Yugoslavia, and several generations of Roma were born or raised into a situation of rootlessness. There is no home for them in the Balkan States. Therefore they come back to Germany after they have been deported. Germany still hasn‘t assumed historical responsibility for the genocide during World War 2 and its involvement in the Kosovo War by granting Roma a security of residence. Fighting for the right to stay and for social participation are among the main aims of Roma-initiatives like alle bleiben!, whose fights are shown in the film.
[1] The german term „Wirtschaftsflüchtling“ is usually used in a pejorative way.
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Vorläufige Bearbeitung eines kurzen Dokumentarfilmes über die bedrückende Situation abgeschobener Roma-Kinder landen in im Kosovo. Auf sich alleine gestellt mit Eltern, die in tiefe Resignation verfallen sind, gemobbt und eingeschüchtert durch albanische Kinder und einem Mangel an Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten ausgesetzt, ist für diese Kinder das Leben effektiv beendet, wenn sie abgeschoben werden. Sie werden von einem Ort der Inspiration verschleppt hin zu einem Ort an dem es absolut keine Inspiration gibt. Ohne diese Inspiration werden die Kinder bald ebenso resigniert wie ihre Eltern.
Obwohl viele in dem Land, aus dem sie aus abgeschoben wurden, geboren waren, ist es legal sie abzuschieben, weil ihre Eltern Flüchtlinge aus dem Kosovo waren, die nach dem Kosovo-Krieg vor albanischen Extremisten geflohen sind. In Deutschland wurde ihnen durch Residenzpflicht und Arbeitsverbot nicht erlaubt an dem gesellschaftlichen Leben teilzunehmen oder einen sicheren Aufenthaltsstatus zu erlangen.
Alles, was wir hier sehen ist der Grund, warum 10 Millionen europäischen Roma am Rande der Gesellschaft gedrängt leben müssen. Der alte Diskriminierungszyklus setzt sich fort ohne den Betroffenen eine Möglichkeit zum Ausbrechen zu lassen..
Romakinder demonstrieren Widerstand aus Sorge über ihre Zukunft
Über die Hälfte der von Abschiebung bedrohten Roma in Deutschland sind Kinder und Jugendliche. Im Kosovo und Serbien erwartet sie ein weitgehend chancenloses und von Ausgrenzung geprägtes Leben. Dieser katastrophalen Zukunftsaussichten sind sich die betroffenen Kinder meist voll bewusst.
Darum gehen in Deutschland Kinder auf die Straße um ihr Recht einzufordern in dem Land leben zu dürfen in dem sie aufgewachsen sind.
Dieser Filmtrailer zeigt Kinder in Deutschland die von einer Abschiebung bedroht sind sowie Kinder nach ihrer Abschiebung in den Kosovo. In Deutschland wird demonstriert um die Öffentlichkeit zu informieren und zu überzeugen während im Kosovo vergeblich versucht wird wieder in die Schule gehen zu dürfen.
Helft uns die Politik zu überzeugen diese Abschiebungen zu stoppen! Unterzeichnet unsere Unterschriftenliste an die Innenminister!
***WEITERSAGEN!!!***ALLE BLEIBEN!***
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F**K DEPORTATIONS! ALLE BLEIBEN!
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​ JEK KALO DIVE
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STOP FORCED DEPORTATIONS TO KOSOVO AND SERBIA
8th of April is the international Roma Day. 1971 on this date Roma representatives from 25 countries met for the first time in London and founded the Romani Union. On this day they also decided to replace offensive foreign appellations with our native name “Roma” (human) and agreed on a common flag, blue and green with a red wheel in the middle.
Still today there is a lot to do!
Today almost everywhere Roma see themselves exposed to a growing discrimination, ranging from exclusion from education and employment to racially motivated attacks. Currently in Germany, there are monthly deportations of Roma to Kosovo and Serbia, in Hungary the far-right Jobbik party gains votes with a shameless anti-Roman propaganda and Roma have to live in fear of assassination attempts there. Also in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, there were violent demonstrations and attacks against Roma. And the policemen are indifferent or even racists themselves ... - so many crimes against Roma are never reported or punished.
This list could go further ...
Thees families often lived in Germany for up to 20 years and the children are born in Germany. Especially for them the deportation is hard because they are used to German lifestyle and forced to leave their home to go to a foreign country were they even do not understand the official language
It is time to stand up and show the world that we are not afraid or willing to suffer in silence. We are European citizens with equal rights and although we are a minority in every country we are not weak or ashamed to say “WE CLAIM: STOP FORCED DEPORTATIONS, STOP RACISM, STOP DISCRIMINATION!”. We have more than 12 Million sisters and brothers in Europe who share your situation and we are solidly united and loud!
On 8th of April WORLD WIDE Roma stand up against all wrongs committed against Roma and remember the victims of racist mass murder because the cruelty of the past must not be forgotten to prevent a repetition.
http://www.facebook.com/events/101346690039993/
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