More honesty in refugee policy, but also more opportunities for the refugees who are in Germany: that's what experts like the migration expert and political advisor Gerald Knaus and the practitioners from Tutzing refugee aid want.
Tutzing
- Years of insecurity, lack of work permits, lengthy asylum procedures, housing shortages: these are the problems asylum workers in Germany struggle with. Then there are the unbearable conditions at the European borders, for example in Greece, Croatia and Poland, where refugees are being driven back by force. What can be done to avoid such injustice and to improve the situation in Germany? The Evangelical Academy Tutzing had contacted asylum workers Claudia Steinke from Tutzing and Dr. Joachim Jacob from Petershausen invited two practitioners and a well-traveled theorist, the migration expert Gerald Knaus from the Berlin think tank ESI (European Stability Initiative). Together with the group of supporters, Academy Director Udo Hahn wanted to clarify the question on Monday evening,how asylum policy could become more realistic and more humane.
When it comes to work permits, the responsible district offices could use their discretion, said Steinke, who has definitely made differences over the years. "In 2015 they placed up to 60 people in a month as unskilled workers," she said. Then there were no work permits at all for a while. “It's getting better now. But it's always up to the people involved, that too is shocking. ”In addition, the lack of housing is burning on the helper's nails.
Jacob, co-chairman of the association of voluntary refugee helpers "Our Veto - Bavaria" confirmed that it is often due to the district office. He addressed this problem from a different angle: “People sit in the containers, have nothing to do and get money. This is a social fuel that will cause us even more problems. "Jacob assessed the anchor centers extremely critically:" Frustrated and broken people come from there. "The refugees have to live decentralized as quickly as possible. This is also possible because many municipalities offer to take in refugees. He also criticized the system of chain tolerances. “The asylum procedures have to be faster. Anyone who has been in the country for three years should be able to work, please. "
Knaus, who constantly travels through Germany and Europe on refugee policy, encouraged the asylum workers to turn to Berlin. He was "cautiously optimistic" that something could change with the new federal government. "In Baden-Württemberg the coalition agreement of the green-black government says: 'We want to offer tolerated people the prospect of staying.'", He quoted. Because deportations do not take place that often, and some countries, such as Iraq, do not take their citizens back. "In 2018 there were 21,000 deportations, almost 70 percent of them to the Western Balkans and the EU countries, twelve percent to other European countries and eight percent to Africa." It would therefore be better if all interior ministers were realistic and not ideological in view of these numbers react. "One wants to deport the threats,but most of the others should be given a chance to learn the language, ”suggested Knaus. Everything else is unrealistic and not pragmatic. The willingness of civil society is there, as can be seen in Tutzing.
Steinke and Jacob also demanded “make yourself honest”.
"Find out more and also express unpleasant truths," added Steinke.
Or the positive truths and tell how many refugees were able to build an existence in Germany.
For Jacob, part of the truth and realism is that immigration offices keep statistics.
"But you don't want to collect this data."
“Tutzing helps” continues
The “Tutzing helps in the Mediterranean” campaign continues.
In 2020 the campaign of the community of Tutzing and the ecumenical support group collected 76,000 euros in donations from the region, which were used for various aid organizations in the Mediterranean, for sea rescue and medical support (we reported).
The kick-off event is on Friday, November 5th, in the Roncallihaus, as Claudia Steinke, chairwoman of the circle of supporters, said.
“Every euro is important,” she emphasized.
“We'll continue,” said her colleague Martin Lehmann-Dannert.