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Volunteers at Berlin Central Station: Refugees are looking for accommodation
Photo: Stefan Zeitz / IMAGO
According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, more than two million people fled Ukraine before the war.
More than half is in Poland.
So far, Germany has more than 64,000 war refugees from Ukraine, and there could soon be significantly more.
Last week, pictures and videos from Berlin's main train station showed how hundreds of Berliners were offering private accommodation to refugees.
If you want to take refugees into your home, you should consider a few points.
The overview.
Am I allowed to take in refugees?
Yes.
Ukrainians can travel to Germany without a visa; according to the Residence Act, they receive “temporary protection” for a year at first.
You can live where you want.
Hamburg, for example, states that the city is primarily responsible for accommodating the refugees, for example in arrival centers or emergency shelters, but private offers are also possible.
Anyone who would like to make such an offer can, for example, contact their municipality, aid organizations or platforms such as wohnung-ukraine.de.
"Whether it's the acceptance of those who come to us in accommodation or facilities or the broad willingness of the population to temporarily accommodate families - there is a great deal of human solidarity, empathy and compassion," says the President of the German District Association, Reinhard Sager .
In some places, housing exchanges were set up at short notice.
Do I need my landlord's consent?
No, says the German Tenants' Association.
Anyone who lives for rent may first take in refugees.
A period of six to eight weeks is considered a “permission-free visit”.
Landlords do not have to be asked for permission for such a period.
"If the visit lasts longer, the landlord should be informed and asked for permission so as not to risk terminating the tenancy," it says.
How do I deal with people with war experience?
Experienced helpers of refugees warn against naivety.
Diana Henniges, founder of the Berlin citizens' initiative "Moabit helps", told the "Tagesspiegel" that everyone should ask themselves questions: "Can I deal with the fact that a mother has been crying or depressed for days, weeks and months waiting for her husband to call , who does not come?
That the child may be wetting every night?
That a man always makes a pilgrimage through the kitchen early in the morning because he can no longer sleep?” Cohabitation can work well, but one should still have thought about these questions.
Who has to take care of the registration?
Ukrainians are initially allowed to live in Germany without registration; no registration is required for 90 days.
However, war refugees from Ukraine have to register in order to be entitled to social benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.
This includes "benefits to cover living expenses and medical care," as reported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
If necessary, war refugees would also pay rent with the help of social benefits.
Registration is possible in reception centers or immigration authorities.
There is no legal obligation for helpers to help with visits to the authorities.
Can I only accept children?
Unaccompanied children and young people are particularly vulnerable.
You must not be admitted alone.
"Unaccompanied minors are initially taken into care by the local youth welfare office," says the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
For Lower Saxony, Social Affairs Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) said that anyone who would like to take in unaccompanied children or young people who have fled Ukraine should contact the local youth welfare office.
Is Corona a problem?
Ukraine has not been a corona high-risk area since the end of February.
"According to the coronavirus entry regulation, there is only a general obligation to test before entry, but no longer a quarantine and registration requirement," says the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Voluntary tests should be offered upon entry.
Anyone showing Covid symptoms should get medical help.
Help for the people in Ukraine – you can donate here
Expand areaAction Alliance for Disaster Relief
Donation account: Commerzbank
IBAN: DE65 100 400 600 100 400 600
BIC: COBADEFFXXX Online donations:
aktionsbuendnis-katastrophenhilfe.de
Caritas Germany, the German Red Cross, Unicef and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe have joined forces in the disaster relief action alliance.
AreaAktion Deutschland Hilft eVopen
DE62 3702 0500 0000 1020 30
BIC: BFSWDE33XXX
Bank for Social Economy
Online donations: Aktion Deutschland Hilft eV
Expand areaAction Little Prince
Donation account: Sparkasse Münsterland Ost
IBAN DE46 4005 0150 0062 0620 62
BIC: WELADED1MST
Expand areaDoctors of the World eV
Donation account: Deutsche Kreditbank
IBAN: DE06 1203 0000 1004 3336 60
BIC: BYLADEM1001
AreaAlliance Development Helpopen
Donation account: Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
IBAN: DE29 100 20 5000 100 20 5000
BIC: BFSWDE33BER Online donations
: spender.entwicklung-hilft.de
The alliance includes Bread for the World, Christoffel-Blindenmission, German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Aid, Kindernothilfe, medico international, Misereor, Plan International, terre des hommes, Welthungerhilfe.
Expand German Red Cross (DRK) section
IBAN: DE63370205000005023307
BIC: BFSWDE33XXX
Keyword: emergency aid Ukraine
Expand DivisionHumedica eV
Donation account: Sparkasse Kaufbeuren
IBAN: DE35 7345 0000 0000 0047 47
BIC: BYLADEM1KFB
Area Save the Children e.
V.open
Donation account: Bank for Social
Economy IBAN: DE92 1002 0500 0003 292912
BIC: BFSWDE33BER
Expand areaSOS Children's Villages worldwide
Donation account: GLS community
bank IBAN: DE22 4306 0967 2222 2000 00
Expand areaUN refugee aid
Donation account: Sparkasse Köln Bonn
IBAN: DE78 3705 0198 0020 0088 50
BIC: COLSDE33 Online donations
via: uno-fluechtlingshilfe.de
Do refugees get psychological help?
War refugees from Ukraine are entitled to medical care after their registration.
The nationwide working group of psychosocial centers for refugees and victims of torture (Baff) has developed the guidelines »Trauma-sensitive and empowering handling of refugees« for dealing with traumatized refugees.
ptz/dpa