As a Refugee in Munich
- You may not cross the city boundaries without special permission. You will not be able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Province of Upper Bavaria.
- You may not live where you please: you have to stay at a “Gemeinschaftsunterkunft” (collective accommodation), sharing a room of 12 to 18 square meters with three other refugees. You will share you bathroom with 20 other persons.
- You may not dress the way you please: twice a year you will receive a set of clothing. Your experience with Munich’s wide choice of shops, boutiques and department stores will be limited to window shopping.
- You may not eat what you like: twice a week you will receive a box of foodstuff. You will not be able to cook like you used to at home, nor will you ever get a taste of Bavarian specialties.
- You may not even use the soap you prefer: every three months a hygiene package will be supplied.
- You will have to kill your time: during the first 12 months of your stay you will not be allowed to work. Even after this period it will be hard to obtain a work permit and shout you succeed it will only be valid for jobs no other person wants to do -even if you are a highly trained professional.
- You will receive 40 € of cash money per month for you personal needs, like tickets for public transportation, stamps, birth control…
- You will not be able to enjoy the wide range of possibilities Munich offers in terms of leisure, culture and education.
- On the street you will continually be harassed by the police wanted to check your papers - especially if your skin is dark.
- You will stay „mute“, because German authorities do not offer you any German classes.
All this forms part of the German policy of „deterring“ people who are seeking refuge and security in Germany.
But: not all citizens of Munich agree with this policy. Quite a number of volunteers are ready to help refugees:
- We give advice on bureaucratic procedures, help you find legal advice or treatment of PTSS for victims of torture, we organize language courses and excursions, we help children with their homework and so on.
- We also inform the citizens of Munich about the reasons why refugees have to leave their home country and their living conditions in Munich.
- We lobby for a more humane refugee policy.
The Munich Refugee Council coordinates the volunteers’ network. You can support us by joining our activities or by granting financial contributions.
We are looking forward to your call.
MFR – Münchner Flüchtlingsrat
Goethestraße 53
80336 München
Tel.: 089 / 123 900 96
Fax: 089 / 123 921 88
e-mail: hallo@muenchner-fluechtingsrat.de
http:www.muenchner-fluechtlingsrat.de
Financial contributions can be made to:
Verein zur Förderung der Flüchtlingsarbeit in München e.V.
Stadtsparkasse München
KontoNr.: 314 344
BLZ: 701 500 00