September 10, 2019
Facilities for foreigners, Bělá-Jezová
Bělá pod Bezdězem, Czech Republic
Notes from the field
A long road through the woods.
Leaning tall trees make you feel dizzy.
Arrival to ZZC Bělá - Jezová. Amplified perception.
Through the trees, I recognize the road and parts of buildings that I have seen virtually before. The reception building has been painted yellow in an attempt to create a warm welcome.
A man is smoking and looking at me - I think he lives here.
The first check from a private company.
Smile. "Hello!" Yellow vests. Awarding badges.
The entrance is through a turnstile, which is opened with a badge.
The signs show: weapons are prohibited, as are drugs, photography and video recording are prohibited, alcohol is also prohibited and I don't remember the rest.
A couple walks in the driveway with a baby sports stroller. The dirt road is lined with endless tall and sparse trees. The foliage hovers above me, filtering the light. Bits of sky shine through. The family is absorbed in their surroundings. They seem to move freely in this space, I think they live in the asylum seekers' living area.
We're getting an escort.
Second check to proceed to the detention area. We've been cleared by the police. The atmosphere is relaxed, the staff are smiling - the policewoman is not.
Baggage check, cell phone drop off. Badge. Entry.
The prison gate is against a wall with children's drawings. We climb out again to enter another building.
Each section has its own fencing. Playground. Basketball court. Residential buildings.
Because the camp is divided into two parts to accommodate the reception centre for asylum seekers, the administration had the fences painted green to blend in with the surrounding forest and create the illusion of freedom. The barbed-wire fences remain in the prison area.
A woven landscape, the view cannot escape the labyrinth of bars. Again, a sense of disorientation between the uplifting forest and the cruel bars that pull us unwaveringly back down to earth, where they pin us down.
Are we being lifted up or crushed?
We have escorts with us everywhere. It's always some upbeat, enthusiastic woman who's smiling.
We pass through the last security gate and find ourselves in a very well maintained garden
with some creations made from recycled materials. There's another young man smoking and watching us.
Inside the building. A corridor with a pink door. Here, unlike in the other two detention centres, women with their entire families are welcomed and men are considered part of the family. Everyone in the building circulates freely.
People look tired, they are casually dressed, something between pajamas and sporty look. I don't know if they can really take care of themselves here. Or if they even want to. Language problems, lack of translation, Google will take care of it.
From the windows we can see only trees, there are no bars.
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