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What we want

Since the founding of the Alassa Circle of Friends, the Circle of Friends has been active in many ways. We have laid down our self-image in programs and resolutions.


Brief history of the Friends of Refugee Solidarity in Solidarity International (SI)

The circle of friends was formed in the second half of 2018 as a reaction to the politically motivated deportation of Alassa Mfouapon to Italy with the demand: "Get Alassa back immediately!"

This was preceded by turbulent events in the LEA Ellwangen:

  • April 30, 2018: Roommates of the LEA prevent the deportation of a Togolese. This was followed by media agitation, with which an act of spontaneous solidarity by refugees was stylized into an anti-state criminal uprising - there was even talk of bunkered weapons. This ultimately served to prepare for an already planned intensification of the deportation practice.
  • May 3, 2018: a press conference was actually planned for this day, where the residents of the LEA wanted to go public to explain their desperate situation and ask for solidarity from the people of Ellwangen: "We are refugees, not criminals!". Instead, a brutal police raid on the LEA took place in the middle of the night - 500 all-black uniforms with dogs kicked in doors (which hadn't even been locked!) and dragged severely traumatized people out of bed, put them on the ground, tied them up and took their money and phones. Satisfaction was spread in the newspaper forest: the state power had struck! In reality, fundamental human rights, for example the inviolability of the home, have been trampled on!
  • Alassa, as one of the spokesmen for the refugee movement, announced another press conference and demonstration - a great success! Doubts about the legality of the police action and massive criticism were raised.
  • On June 20, Alassa - now well known nationwide - was deported to Italy, again using massive force, although he did not put up any resistance.

The "Freundeskreis Alassa" developed as part of "Solidarity International“ A broad solidarity work – signatures were collected, demonstrations and events were held, donations were collected and many thousands of people were reached. The circle of friends kept in constant contact with Alassa, who had to live in Italy under the miserable conditions to which the refugees are forced to live there, and not only made it possible for him to survive, but also for legal representation, with the help of which he filed a complaint against the state government because of the Unlawfulness of the police operation of May 3, 2018 in the LEA Ellwangen. This lawsuit was heard in court in February 2021 and it was decided that the police operation was unlawful - but only towards Alassa and it was also not clarified that rooms in refugee accommodation are apartments within the meaning of Article 13 GG (inviolability of the apartment). This will hopefully be clarified for all refugees at the appointment hearing on 2/28/22!

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On the day after the half-yearly re-entry ban expired, Alassa lawfully returned to the Federal Republic and submitted a follow-up application for asylum - partly because he had not received any medical or social support in Italy during the six months and no opportunity to present his asylum request.

This step was followed by unprecedented media agitation – first and foremost the Bild newspaper, which dubbed him an “illegal invader”, welfare fraudster” and literally released him for shooting, giving full disclosure of his name, face and address.

Especially in the fight against this massive reactionary wind, the movement of the circle of friends grew as an organizational form of refugees who fight for their rights together with people who show solidarity. A well-respected tribunal against Seehofer's asylum policy and a refugee policy congress created new connections nationwide, did educational and organizational work and the "Freundeskreis Alassa" became a real antithesis to the reactionary refugee policy with international appeal - it was no longer just about Alassa as a person Mfouapon, even if, as a prominent representative of the refugee self-organization, he remains the focus of the dispute. This is how the circle of friends together with Solidarity International founded the Solidarity pact with the Organisation “OXI – Lesvos resists Corona!” with the demand for the evacuation of the camps in the Greek Aegean. The next step was therefore logical: in June 2020, on the initiative of the regional group ….. of Solidarity International, a remarkable meeting took place under Corona conditions with the result that the circle of friends was set up nationwide: regional groups were founded and the name changed to “Freundeskreis Flüchtlingssolidarität in Solidarity International”, and one programmatic extension and a Afinal resolution decided - the fight goes on!

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