Chechen Refugees Protest, Block Border with Germany

A group of over 230 Chechem immigrants blocked the railway border in Zgorzelec today. They were trying to travel to Strasbourg where they wanted to complain about the conditions at refugee centers in Poland.

The train was first stopped in the city of Legnica, still far from the border, where the passengers were controlled. After about one hour, the train went further but was again stopped in Zgorzelec. The passengers were told they could not travel further.

The immigrants made an action at the border, blocking the railway tracks. After some time they were all detained by the border police.

The action comes a day after the Polish press starting publishing articles on how Poland is the "best country in Europe for refugees". These articles are based on the misleading information published by Eurostat on Dec. 8 which claims that Poland accepts 65% of refugees. In fact, the Eurostat statistics include 3 different types of status. In Poland, the great majority of refugees do not receive asylum but are also not deported. Those who do not receive official status are not allowed. among other things, to work and are basically confined to life in refugee centers where conditions are impossible. The publication of highly misleading information by Eurostat hit the refugees hard as their situation in Poland is dire, but the Eurostat statistics allow the government to claim that there is no problem and, as the press claims, that this country is a "paradise" for refugees.