Categorie: Translations

Translations of articles

Two years of refugee struggle against migration control

Demonstration on maart 23rd, 2013, in Amsterdam. (Photo: Jan Kees Helms)

In the summer of 2011 a courageous battle of homeless refugees deprived of their rights started which has continued at full power to this date. It is time to assess the results of what went before and the course of this battle, as seen through the eyes of the Doorbraak activists who have been involved. The original text in Dutch(july

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Successful second celebration of Labour Day in Leiden

The protest-toilet was also present again.

Today Labour Day was celebrated for the second time on the square in front of the DZB forced labour centre. Yesterday May 1st, the management of the centre unexpectedly declared a day of leave. It was an attempt to prevent an increase in contacts between the forced labourers and the activists who were planning to celebrate this day together. The

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Success in Leiden: fear of May 1st celebration results in unexpected leave for forced labour centre

No forced labour!

In Leiden today some 25 people celebrated Labour Day on the square in front of the DZB (1) building. Similar to last year, there was music, food and drinks, and a few short speeches. There were only 7 forced labourers present though: the management had sent them all home, completely unexpectedly at 10:00 a.m. This is a small victory! The

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We’re in the same boat, so let’s row together

Integration into garbage collection.

If you compare the forced integration of refugees and immigrants with the reintegration obligation of the unemployed, you will find striking similarities. With regard to both of these groups, the state through its repressive and disciplining policies distinguishes between ‘desirable’ and ‘useful’ on one side and ‘undesirable’ and ‘redundant’ on the other. This is an analysis of a political-demographic approach

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Black Pete is sooo 1850

The Black Pete figure is outdated. Soon this racist figure may become a museum artifact in an exhibition on 19th century colonialism. Because the black house slave of the white master Sinterklaas is sooo 1850: the year in which the teacher Jan Schenkman blew life into the figure through his book “Sint Nicolaas and his servant”. The social movement which,

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First successes in struggle against forced labour in Leiden

Leidse actie-plee: schijt aan dwangarbeid.

It has already been over two years since Doorbraak started an experiment in Leiden of using ‘organizing’ elements in the battle against the government cuts. Examples of these elements are conducting dialogues, indepth evaluation of all activities, and targeted efforts at building a position of power. We have reported back a few times, and this time we can report the

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Giving immigration control the finger

(photo: Jan Kees Helms)

Every day tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants who have been branded as illegals, fight against the repressive immigration management policies, simply by surviving here and refusing to leave. It would do no harm if left-wing activists would highlight this resistance more in their writing and speeches, instead of just listing and condemning the ever increasing repressive legislation. Because

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Tent villages: not helplessness but strength, courage and perseverance

Refugee in The Hague.

In September 2012 a number of rejected refugees start setting up their camp of tents in The Hague and Amsterdam. There is a fierce struggle going on for a year now against the brutal rejection and exclusion policies. For days, and sometimes weeks, refugees have been camping in the cold, rain and wind on the doorsteps of organisations such as

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Undocumented: “Are our lives and worries not important at all?” (longread)

Gurucharan Singh.

The story of Gurucharan Singh: from guest worker to illegal immigrant. I lived in the Punjab in India and the only work I knew was building. My grandfather and father had been in construction during their times. Hence it was an obvious career choice for me. I worked in Dubai from 1978 for 12 years as a mason, a bricklayer.

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The struggle against compulsory labor in Leiden

A forced laborer in action at the opening of the DZB.

The city council of Leiden has introduced compulsory labor for unemployment benefit claimants. Doorbraak is campaigning against this policy. A chronology. The original text in Dutch(january 4th, 2012) Ce texte en Français September 8th 2010. A review of the struggle against compulsory labor in Leiden should actually start in Amsterdam. There the Steuncomité Sociale Strijd (SSS – Support committee Social

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