This article attempts to chronicle some resistance to deportations across Europe in recent years. It is far from a complete database and is a work in progress.
** AUSTRIA **
23/10/09 - Day of action against deportations at Vienna Schwechat airport.
http://stopdeportation.blogsport.de/
** BELGIUM **
Over the last 2 years there have been several bigger blockades of deportation centres in Belgium. For these actions people mobilised across borders. The first link below is a video of 120 activists blockading 2 centres on 31st October. Nice video with English text. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMIEvFyqQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWVQ84QtRzI
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/04/58837.shtml
These actions aim not only at stopping the deportations for that day, but are also aimed at making the deportation machine visible.
Stopping deportations at airports has had little success over recent years. Protests are often limited to handing out flyers to other passengers.
2008 - Some passengers protest against a forced deportation on a Bruxelles Airlines flight. They were mistreated by the police but nevertheless managed to interrupt the flight. There was a press conference afterwards with one of the migrants on the flight giving a statement:
http://www.radio-rouge.org/index.php/2008/08/14/597-belgique-expulsion-d...
April 2002 - "No Expulsion Party" at the Brussels airport:
http://www.hns-info.net/spip.php?article983
** DENMARK **
** FRANCE **
Feb 2010 - Two students were arrested on thje campus oif Pau university. They were released from detention and then 330 students and univesiry staff accommodated then on campus, in an "illegal but legitimate act": http://inventerre.canalblog.com/archives/2010/02/26/17045887.html
Nov 2008 - Large mobilisation against Afghanistan charter flight. The "Salam" association launches a campaign "No to the charter of shame". There are demos in Calais and outside nearby detention centre Coquelles, as well as in Lille. On 17/11/08, a day before the charter is due, the government announces it will not be flying. For more info see article "From Calais to Kabul" (in French):
http://lille.indymedia.org/article14155.html
RESF - Education without borders network - does a lot of work across France mobilising against the deportation of children and their families:
http://www.educationsansfrontieres.org/
** GERMANY **
http://www.initiative-gegen-abschiebehaft.de/index.html
24/08/09-30/08/09 - Week of action against deportations
30/08/08 - Decentralised day of action against deportations
Deportation Class 2000
http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/deportation-class/
http://www.noborder.org/archive/www.deportation-class.com/
** GREECE **
** HOLLAND **
The most active group on challenging/stopping deportations in the Netherlands is 'Werkgroep Stop Deportaties' ("Working Group Stop Deportations). Starting in 2006, they did almost monthly/bi-monthly lock-on blockades at different deportation centres preventing the vans going to the airport. This generated some media interest but then it tailed off. Werkgroep have recently changed tactics and started "naming and shaming" campaign against the architects and builders of a particular centre. They have also taken organised bigger blockades and occupations with approx 50 people
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2010/03/66237.shtml
For an overview of their activities 2006-2008 see:
http://www.dc-16.nl/acties_werkgroep_stop_deportaties.html
** ITALY **
** IRELAND **
In recent years, the group leading resistance against deportations in Ireland is Residents Against Racism:
http://www.residentsagainstracism.org
** NORWAY **
** POLAND **
** PORTUGAL **
** SPAIN **
** SWEDEN **
** SWITZERLAND **
There is a group called "Stop Aux Renvois" ("Stop Deportations"). More info about them here:
http://www.stoprenvoi.ch/index2.php
** UK **
Oct 2006 - Residents block snatch squads in Kingsway area of Glasgow with several early morning protests
http://paihnews.wordpress.com/2006/10/12/protests-against-dawn-raids-on-...
2006 - Sakchai Makao is not deported after 8000 signatures from Shetland Islanders. See here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/local-hero-shetland-islanders...
"Schools Against Deportations" group from 2004-05:
http://www.irr.org.uk/sad/campaigns.html
2004 - Mansoor Hassan and Family Defence Campaign:
http://www.noii.org.uk/2004/10/23/mansoor-hassan-and-family-defence-camp...