no border, no nation
social movements against the european asylum politics

Transcarpathia, Ukraina, 2007

The May 2004 enlargement of the EU brought Ukraine to the edge of a new Europe. The country now borders three EU member states, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, making Ukraine one of the European Union's most significant neighbors.

Ukraine is increasingly appealing as a transit country for asylum seekers from Middle East, the Russian Federation and Asia trying to find refuge in the European Union.

Within the frame of the european externalisation efforts the EU attempts a fast formation of detention- and deportation camps in Ukraine, in wich the majority of asylum-seekers should pass the asylum procedure beyond the EU territory. In Europe the average of positive decided asylum claim lies around 5%. In "Pawschino", a detention center funded by the EU and secured by armed forces, 400 to 500 refugees are being detained for months. In return for the cooperation of Ukraina concerning the defense against refugees, the European Union has decided simplified visa regulations for Ukrainian citizens and has announced trade facilitations.

The "no border network" is a group of grass-roots organizations that support free migration and abolishment of the human rights violating border-practice. Since 1998 they organize activistically orientated "no border camps" to encourage the public discussion and reflection about the europaen asylum strategies.

Till now no border camps took place i.a. in Poland, Slovakia, Ukraina, Sicily, Spain, France, Greece, Australia, Finland and Mexico.