MEDIA RELEASE

On 4 December 2000 the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution to proclaim 20 June World Refugee Day. The first such World Refugee Day would coincide with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Geneva Convention on refugees. It is a celebration with mixed feelings as European governments debate whether the Convention should be reviewed and tightened in response to the growing numbers of asylum seekers seeking safe refuge in Europe.

European grassroots non-governmental organisations debate the validity of the Refugee Convention in another manner. Discussions centre around the definition of the term refugee and whether this definition should be widened to include all who need protection, whether this is from environmental disasters, terror by a non-state agency or hunger. It is almost one year ago that 58 Chinese died in an attempt to reach Great-Britain. Discussions on the issue of 'illegal migration' have focused on persecuting traffickers, instead of on the sources of the problem: European restrictive migration and refugee politics. People continue to die as a result of such "Fortress Europe" policies.

Around 20 June 2001 activities in support of refugees take place all over Europe. Demonstrations, Conferences, Festivals and Exhibitions - mainly linked to the celebration of the Geneva Convention - are organised by organisations from Portugal to Russia and from Great-Britain to Georgia, for example:

Online-Demonstration Against Deportation Business "Lufthansa Goes Offline" will be started from computers throughout Europe on 20 June 2001. Lufthansa is involved in 10.000 deportations a year.
More information: go.to/online-demo or stop-depclass.scene.as

"Celebrate Sanctuary", the annual Refugee Week, will take place in Great-Britain from 23.-29. June 2001. Many activities are organisied that aim to give people the opportunity to celebrate the contribution that refugees make to life.
More information: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk

In Spain, the multimedia exhibition "Through Them - Six Torn Childhoods" will take place from 21.06- 09.07 2001.
More information: www.eacnur.org

Find an updated list of activities in more than 20 countries all over Europe on
www.unitedagainstracism.org as well as a full list of documented refugee deaths 1993-2001 (click under 'campaigns' on 'Refugee Campaigns').

UNITED for Intercultural Action supports organisations throughout Europe in their refugee campaigns by providing posters and information material free of charge. UNITED for Intercultural Action is the European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees, supported by more than 500 organisations in 45 European countries.

For more information call the UNITED office


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UNITED for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Postbus 413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org, www.unitedagainstracism.org