Special Flight

Each year, thousands of men and women in Switzerland are imprisoned without trial or sentence. They may be deprived of liberty for up to eighteen months before being deported, simply because they are living in the country illegally. 

For nine months, Melgar immersed himself in the administrative detention centre Frambois in Geneva, which accommodates rejected asylum seekers and illegal migrants. Some of these people have been established in Switzerland for years, and have jobs and families there. 

But one day, the cantonal immigration authorities arbitrarily decide to imprison them, in order to ensure their departure. The problem is that no inmate is willing to leave the country voluntarily. Thus begins a relentless administrative procedure to force them onto ‘the special flight’.

This movie is an addition to the Debate CaféKnocking at the Doors of Fortress Europe
Migration Flows from the Maghreb to Europe: is there a Long-term Solution? 
Wed 15 Jan. Click here for more info

In collaboration with ESA Concordantia