The Asylum Lager in Witthoh – Immedingen is really a place far away from everything as one Refugee described it in a report published by the Fluechtlingsrat Baden Wurttemberg rundbrief. Further investigation as part of the mobilization of self organization of Refugee confirmed how bad it could be for the Refugees in that Lager.
A visit to Witthoh by an Activist of the Voice Refugee Forum and Caravan Network prompted individual interview of Refugees who emphasized the inevitable need for the Closure of the Lager. The innocent Victims earnestly called for solidarity against the German State Isolation and exclusion Policies.
Individual refugees also narrated their personal experiences ranging from unfairness from the Federal Office responsible for Asylum {BAMF} and other Authorities on the State and local levels {RP and Landkreis}. The aspect of right to privacy was very crucial as their letters were rather gotten through the district Official assign to the Lager. A practice that has always had negative impact on required urgency to respond to the appropriate Authority which sometime cause them to be criminalized with the so called “Obligation to co-operate with the authority’ Policy” {Mitwirkungpflicht} and the failure to meet the time frame for appeal against rejection from the Authorities.
Living Situation of Refugees
The food distribution is operated in the Point Store System as one amongst several practices in Baden Wurttemberg. The Shop is opened for 3.5 hrs, 2 times Weekly {Monday and Tuesday} and every Refugee has 600 points allocated to them, unlike Biberach Riss where Refugees are allocated 500points taken from the Drei Konig Company delivery Truck three times weekly {Monday, Wednessday and Friday}bc.
The food available was associated with total unfairness ranging from neither Milk Products that were already 5 days expired nor 2 days to expiration. Yogurt expired since May 2009 was also amongst products offered to Refugees who owed their trust to the perfection in Germany and cared less to taking note. Available Sausages were neither with manufacturing nor expiration dates. More obvious and unbelievable was the availability of Contaminated Bottled water estimated at more than 30percent. One could not imagine the level of infection the Refugees would have been going through over the years. {Confirmed Fact with evidence}
According to the food didtributing Officer, the expiry dates are only to control its availability in the Supermarket, they are still safe for use even up to Two weeks after, I do consume expired product he said!!!.
The Question now would be, “How do you then categorize the Point Shop?
Could it be in any way connected to a Supermarket or otherwise?
Witthoh Accommodation facility houses far more than 100 Refugees with only 4 available Washing machines but at this time of investigation, one amongst the 4 machines was out of Order.
As the normal design from the German Asylum Policy in Germany, the Witthoh Refugees lamented the usual forced habit of sleeping eating all day, we are interested in working even on 1 Euro basis, but the Officials do not allow it. We have even resorted to search for these Jobs ourselves but the Officials finally would allocate it to others. This is total hatred and discrimination according to the Refugee Victims. The District- Tuttlingen is bent on destroying us day by day, we cannot envisage our Future in any positive direction; we are tired of it all and cannot live here anymore. We are calling for Solidarity from all. This Witthoh Lager has to be closed!!!!!!!!!!
Another painful tragedy with a family with 5 kids abandoned in the Witthoh Lager and meted with real show of discrimination. The eldest daughter who is 7 years old has to be withdrawn from the school because of her poor German language ability; she is to join her younger ones in the Kindergarten which is totally unfair and illegal. By normal Standard, she needed extra support to catch up quickly with her peers as her right not only based on international Standard as a refugee but also based on the German acclaimed Constitution on the rights of Children residing in Germany.
The Wife as a nursing Mother has the Permission to work while her husband would love to find a Job but has no permission.
What a high degree of hatred and wickedness as one refugee continuously emphasized, why should this Family be put here in this Lager even if not for the parents, but at least for the sake of the innocent Kids. It is really ridiculous from the Tuttlingen District.
The Bathing water in the lager is not Hygienic as Refugees complained. We are faced with body scratching after we use the shower and even a Doctor confirmed the cause to be based on the use of unhygienic water.
Refugees complained about problems associated with breathing after staying so long in their Rooms especially when they wake up in their Rooms. The building is in itself too Old and should have been built with outdated materials. According to the Refugees, It is extra ordinarily critical in the Core of the winter. One part of the Building is totally inhabitable hence we have to squat with friends on the other part of the building, thus compounding the problems of congestion in rooms. We are scared of such out come again as the winter is taking off gradually.
Most of the Refugees have to pay fines based on the criminalization with the so Called Residentpflicht Gesetz. Just sight seeing to Witthoh would tell that no normal Human can stay in Witthoh for so long. It is better to be criminalized unjustly than staying here traumatized and destroyed lamented the Refugees.
The Refugees demand immediate Closure of the Witthoh Lager and the abolition of all forms of discrimination
Photos from Witthoh: http://fluechtlingsbc.wordpress.com
Biberach Refugees' Critics on Drei Konig Lagerservice and Politicians in Authority
http://thevoiceforum.org/node/1880
Support the struggle against Isolation and Exclusion of Refugees
Kontakt:
Rex Osa
Fluechtlings initiative Baden Wurttemberg
Tel.: 017627873832
Email: thevoice_bdw(at)yahoo.de
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