By Lars Bevanger, BBC, January 31, 2011
Norway has arrested and deported a young Russian woman who was crowned “Norwegian of the year” after writing a book about her life as an illegal immigrant. Her fate prompted nationwide public protests against the asylum laws, and the centre-left coalition government has been left shaken.
Al Jazeera, Jan. 28 2011
More than 200 illegal immigrants on hunger strike in Greece have ended
a five-day occupation of a university in central Athens, following a
tense standoff with police. The immigrants left the Athens University Law
School early on Friday, after being joined by scores of demonstrators.
They then marched across the city together.
Indymedia Scotland, Jan. 24, 2011
We are migrant men and women, refugees from all over Greece. We came here to escape poverty, unemployment, wars and dictatorships. The multinational companies and their political servants left us no choice but to repeatedly risk our lives to journey towards Europe’s door. The West that is exploiting our countries while benefiting from much better living conditions is our only chance to live decent lives, to live as human beings. Whether by regular or irregular entry, we came to Greece and are working to support ourselves and our families. We live without dignity, in the dark shadow of illegalness. Employers and State agencies benefit from the harsh exploitation of our labour. We live by the sweat of our brow and with the dream that one day we will have the same rights as our Greek fellow workers.
Al Jazeera, 20 January 2011
Click here for the video
In the past two years, a record number of undocumented immigrants have been deported out of the United States – most of them Mexican.
By Matt Carr, IPS, Jan 13 2011
In September 2009 French police bulldozed the migrant encampment at Sangatte near Calais, inhabited by hundreds of mostly Afghan asylum seekers seeking to reach the United Kingdom. The destruction of the Sangatte ‘jungle’ was carried out in the full glare of publicity, and the French and UK governments hailed it as a major blow against illegal immigration.
