Appeal from 27 organizations to the federal government, states and municipalities
Berlin/Osnabrück, May 9, 2023 - On the occasion of the refugee summit, terre des hommes joint appeal with 26 other organizations, draws attention to the situation of refugee children and young people and warns against changes in law and practice that will further exacerbate their situation.
The welfare and rights of refugee minors are already being disregarded in many places: The lowering of accommodation standards, living in overcrowded shelters, and the lack of involvement of child and youth welfare services violate, in particular, their rights to protection, education, adequate healthcare, and participation. Furthermore, in some federal states, unaccompanied refugee minors are being unlawfully housed in collective accommodations because there are not enough places available in youth welfare facilities.
“The federal government, states, and municipalities must immediately find joint solutions that ensure the well-being of refugee children and young people. Populism and the agreement on more deportations and European isolation help neither children nor communities – they only lead to more violations of rights,” explained Sophia Eckert, advisor for refugees and migration at terre des hommes . The planned agreement to establish further central arrival centers, so-called “AnkER centers,” from which deportations are to take place directly, is particularly worrying. “The federal government committed itself in its coalition agreement to abandoning the AnkER center concept,” said Eckert. “Rightly so – because they are no place for children. The fact that this failed concept is now being revived is shocking.”
In addition to the immediate measures proposed in the appeal—such as increased federal funding for child protection measures in shelters and for the reception of unaccompanied minors— terre des hommes is primarily calling for a more flexible reception system through decentralized accommodation and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles. “Instead of considering new initial reception centers, the requirement to live in communal accommodation should be immediately lifted in all federal states to ease the situation for families and communities. It is absurd that children and families have to live in overcrowded shelters, especially when private housing is offered to them,” explained Sophia Eckert.
Beyond immediate measures terre des hommes is calling for a fundamental shift in reception policy to prevent municipalities from repeatedly becoming overwhelmed and to ensure the well-being of refugee children and young people even with rising arrival numbers. "It is often forgotten that the current situation of overburdening is primarily a result of the massive dismantling of infrastructure in recent years. We urgently need strategies for maintaining capacities that can cope with the dynamics of migration flows, instead of repeatedly resorting to frantic, knee-jerk reactions that primarily harm one group: those seeking protection," emphasized Sophia Eckert.