Report from Are You Syrious?:

Borders are dangerous. Borders force people to risk their lives. The 18 people found dead in Bulgaria were forced to risk their lives by those dangerous borders. Need to seek protection, but no visa: what to do? Since the visa system (and the border system in general) follows hierarchical policies, there is no choice but to resort to smugglers. The result is 18 people losing their lives and 34 in very difficult conditions. No food, no water, no space, no air to breathe.

The people found last Friday tried to reach the EU hiding in a truck. All of them were from Afghanistan, a country where human rights are not respected and plagued by the consequences of years of war. Despite most western countries having declared that they would be ready to support the Afghan people, now they are leaving them dying at EU borders. The solidarity claimed during August 2021 with the Taliban takeover looks like just another unfilled promise.

Here is the article in Spanish and Italian.

For years people seeking protection die at our EU borders. Illegal pushbacks have been normalised and are a systematic practice which endanger already risky borders. Human rights abuses and torture are funded by the EU and seem to be an essential part of border management.

Precisely with regard to Bulgaria and the Balkan Route, it has recently been proved that the rights of people on the move are violated out of sight, although associations and activists have been denouncing this for years. You can read the investigation led by Lighthouse Reports here:

Lighthouse Reports have video footage of violent practices carried out at EU borders, including that of shooting people:

Violent border management goes hand in hand with an ever-increasing externalisation of EU borders, thus favouring the instrumentalisation of people seeking protection.

It will soon be the seventh anniversary of the EU-Turkey deal.

Together we demand: Safe escape routes and freedom of movement for all! “No more EU-Turkey Deal: Human rights are not for sale”! Join the actions or organize your own actions in your cities!

Writes Frenchcollective in a tweet.

Image: Matthew Peoples, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0