The Warsaw noborder collective RAS and the union of syndicalists of Poland ZSP invites you to a week of actions against Frontex, the headquarters of which are located in Warsaw. Throughout the week starting on May 16th there will take place amongst others: screenings of films concerning immigrant issues, street games, workshops and meetings with European noborder groups. We will conclude the Anti-Frontex Days on May 23rd with a demonstration in front of the Frontex offices aimed against „Fortress Europe”. We will stand together against discriminatory immigration policy and apartheid in Europe and in concern for the dire situation of thousands of migrants as a result of official practices of dehumanization. This event and your support are especially important, as Frontex functions here in Warsaw rather inconspicuously and to the general ignorance of Polish society. While Polish authorities hail the presence of an EU headquarters in our capital city, few are actually aware of what this institution does, not only in the Mediterranean, but also along the Polish border with Ukraine and Belarus, since 2004 a heavily fortified external border of Fortress Europe. More particularly, on May 23rd we will commemorate Maxwell Itoya, a migrant of Nigerian origin who a year ago on this day was brutally shot dead in the center of Warsaw by the police. His case remains „unsolved” while the police murderer has returned to service without any punishment.

[The following text was written 08/03/11 by afrique-europe-interact, welcome to europe and the network of critical migration and border regime research]

The dynamic of the Arab spring is emanating into the entire world. The movements of revolt in the Maghreb encourage and give hope, not only because despotic regimes that have been believed invincible were chased away. Although the direction of further developments remain open it is obvious that the domino effect of the Tunisian jasmine revolution swiftly brought back the old insight that history is driven from below. The struggles are directed against the day-to-day poverty as well as against general oppression, they are as much about better living conditions as they are about dignity, in short: "bread and roses".

The incredible days of Midan Al-Tahrir, the Liberation Square in Cairo signify the quest for new forms of self organisation and grassroots democracy. The desire for equal rights, autonomy and a share of the economic wealth is also mirrored in the boats crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe: today casting off from Tunisia while during the last years from North and West Africa . "Exit" – to claim one's freedom of movement and to migrate in order to find a different, better life, and "Voice" – to raise one's voice and struggle locally, are not contradictory, they are rather mutually intertwined.