"To be a refugee is to bravely rise above the waves of fear and death.To carry hope in empty, aching bellies, along with your bags of exhaustion and despair. It is to strive to preserve one's memories in a tortured mind and hold stories in a heavy heart. It is to proudly bear undeniable diversity while battling prejudice and racialization. It is to survive on hope and feed your soul on dreams." - Ann
On this World Refugee Day we must confront the harsh realities faced by millions forced to flee their homes. As refugees we ask, are we offered the protection we deserve? Does data protection apply to those seeking asylum? Does freedom of movement and speech extend to refugees? The inhumane treatment of displaced people exposes the hypocrisy of nations claiming to uphold human rights.
Being a refugee is not a way of life, but a brutal circumstance imposed by war, persecution, climate catastrophes and colonialism. As AI strengthens border regimes with dehumanizing surveillance, profiling and detentions, we must also resist technological oppression.
The rise of far-right parties spreading their ideologies, threatens the tenuous safety of refugees across the World. In Germany, the start of the Bezahlkarte payment system for refugees enables stricter monitoring and control over already marginalized groups, as it restricts their financial autonomy and freedom, making them more vulnerable and dependent on the state.
We need radical political change. Dismantle the borders and demolish the oppressive structures that create refugees in the first place. Freedom of movement is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right denied to millions.
On this World Refugee Day, we stand in solidarity with those displaced and demand an end to the militarized policing of migrations. Seeking asylum is not a crime! It is a fundamental human right!
