Refugees in guest rooms as a permanent solution? "Asylum in the Oberland" reports doubts

The challenges of working with Ukrainian refugees were just as much a topic at the general meeting of the association "Asyl im Oberland" as the innovation that the organization also wants to help Germans in need financially in the future.

Peißenberg/district

- In times of the Ukraine war, help for refugees is particularly important.

The support association "Asyl im Oberland" is therefore still required.

The association has around 60 members, including private individuals as well as cities, municipalities and parishes.

The current state of affairs was recently discussed at the general meeting in the parish home of St. Barbara in Peißenberg.

Jost Herrmann, Protestant pastor in Schongau and the first chairman of the association, praised: "The supporters have a lot of energy and are at the grassroots level." The association is administratively active and enables the supporter groups to work in the places.

"The Ukrainians are important, but so are the other refugees," he warned.

After CFO Martin Herzog criticized the approach of the district office in matters of "deportations", Herrmann explained: "You are in the process of implementing some things, but some things are in trouble." The chairman added that refugees are not always treated in this way, as supporters would like.

The club is in good financial shape at the moment, as Herzog explained.

The expenses of 20,000 euros are offset by income of 24,325 euros last year, which is made up of membership fees and donations.

"The money should enable the volunteer work," says Herrmann.

“Carefree time out” aims to help traumatized children

A project organized by the association is the “carefree time out”.

In cooperation with the "Tabaluga Children's Foundation", traumatized children are able to experience a few carefree hours - for example while riding, painting or doing handicrafts.

Laptops are currently still in demand.

Peter Schubert made 102 devices fit again last year.

However, the “No computers, no education” project continues.

At the meeting, it was decided unanimously not only to restrict access to the computers and to financial aid to people with a migration background, but also to consider German people in need.

"This is a small change in the statutes that significantly expands the scope," Herrmann said happily.

Bottlenecks in accommodating refugees cannot be ruled out

Current challenges were also discussed.

The accommodation of the people from the Ukraine is going well, but it cannot be ruled out that there will still be bottlenecks.

Guest rooms are a well-intentioned thing, so the unanimous tenor, but those present considered it questionable whether refugees could be accommodated in this way without conflict in the long term.

In addition, pets brought along, an uncontrolled arrival, a lack of language skills and missing documents would make the situation more difficult.

Another problem is that there are many old and sick people among the arrivals.

Prevent "social discord" due to unequal treatment

However, everyone agreed that the structures that have been created since 2012 can currently absorb the flow of war refugees.

The division between “good and bad refugees” was disapproved of.

In addition, according to the second chairwoman Lisa Hogger, it is unfair that people from other countries who live in Ukraine are treated differently than those with a Ukrainian passport.

“We want equal rights for everyone.

Otherwise there will be social discord,” she stated.

"We have to point out this discrepancy loudly," Herrmann agreed.

The previous board, like the cash auditors, was unanimously discharged and then re-elected.

Ursula Gallmetzer

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.)