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JRS Germany -
Political Developments
During 2008, the number of detainees housed in
detention facilities in Germany diminished, with 1,250
detained in the Berlin Detention Centre (this compares
with 1,380 in 2007). In Munich there were between
300-400 persons, 20-30% of these detainees were released
and not forcibly returned to their country of origin. At
the end of the year, there were 30 detainees housed in
the Eisenhüttenstadt detention centre (Brandenburg).
A growing number of the detainees were so-called Dublin
II cases; i.e. individuals who had come to Germany via
another European Union member state, were subsequently
arrested, usually at the airport, and ordered to return
to their country of first entry.
In 2008, JRS took part in a joint agreement promoting
the resettlement of Iraqi refugees driven from Iraq to
neighbouring countries. The German churches pushed for
30,000, with the final coming in at around 2,500 Iraqi
refuges (this from a total of 10,000 Iraqis within the
framework of a European Union agreement).
Also, according to a new directive, pregnant women were
to be deported three months either side of their
pregnancy.
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JRS Activities
Detention
Established
in 2005, the legal aid funds for detainees in Berlin,
Brandenburg and Bavaria were further developed in 2008. With a
budget of almost 19,000 EUR, 87 legal cases were assisted, 57 of
which had a successful outcome.
JRS Munich staff cared for about 200 detainees individually: be
it in a legal, a social or a pastoral sense.
As a result of the lobbying activities by JRS in Berlin, all
moneyless detainees received 55 EUR prior to their deportation
for survival and transport purposes in their home country.
Undocumented migrants
Being a founding member of the Catholic Forum on Life in
Illegality, a forum bringing together several Catholic
organizations including the German Conference of Bishops, JRS
Germany actively took part in a number of advocacy activities,
in particular the debate on access to schools for undocumented
children.
As a member of the Migration Committee in the Council of
Catholics in the Diocese of Munich, JRS contributed to a leaflet
containing information on assisting undocumented migrants, along
with the contact addresses (including the JRS office) where
migrants can be sent to for further advice and assistance. The
leaflet was spread to all parishes in the diocese.
Advocacy
Advocacy activities mainly focused on undocumented
migrants, in terms of advice and assistance for the
undocumented. In this context, a longer article written
by JRS was published in a German law journal.
JRS Germany actively took part in the debate on the EU
Return Directive and, after the text had been passed by
European Parliament and Council, began promotion of
implementation, especially of those parts of the
Directive which could bring substantive changes to the
situation of detainees. On this subject, another longer
article was published in a German law journal.
Hardship Case Commission
In 2008, there were 8 meetings of the commission for
hardship cases in Berlin, which decided on 210 cases. In
140 cases the commission recommended to the Home Affairs
Secretary of the Land of Berlin to issue a humanitarian
residence status, granted in 96 cases. JRS, as a
representative of the Catholic Church, filed 42
applications. The commission decided on a total of 28
applications from 2007 and previous years. In 12 cases
the Home Secretary granted a humanitarian residence
status. In 4 other cases the people were granted a
residence permit according to other regulations. As a
result of JRS activities within the commission, 29
persons were granted the right to stay in Germany.
As a result of lobbying on the part of several NGOs
including JRS, a new law provided for an extension of
the existence of hardship case commissions until 2010.
Staff News
A
new Jesuit was appointed for pastoral care in the
detention centre in Berlin-Köpenick and Eisenhüttenstadt,
while a Jesuit in formation began his regency within JRS,
visiting and accompanying detainees in Berlin.
Contact Details
Country office:
Martin Stark SJ, Country Director
Jesuiten Flüchtlingsdienst, Witzlebenstr. 30a, 14057 Berlin
Tel: +49-30 3260 2590 - Fax: +49-30 3260 2592 |
Contact in Switzerland:
c/o c/o Lukas Niederberger SJ
CH-6313 Edlibach / Zug
Fon: 0041/ 41/ 757 14 74 - Fax: 0041/ 41/ 757 14 13
lukas.niederberger(a)lassalle-haus.org |
Germany South:
Michael Hainz SJ, Local Coordinator,
Kaulbachstrasse 31a, D - 80539 München
Tel: +49 89 2386 2353 - Fax: +49 89 2386 2352
michael.hainz(a)jrs.net |
Contact in Austria:
c/o Erich Drögsler SJ
Boltzmanngasse 9, A-1090 Wien
Fon: 0043/ 1/ 3108750-28 - Fax: 0043/ 1/ 3108750-31
Johannes König SJ
Dr.-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz , A-1010 Wien
Fon: 0043/ 1/ 5125232-43 - Fax: 0043/ 1/ 5125232-27
johannes.koenig(a)jesuiten.org |
germany(a)jrs.net
To send an email, just replace the (a) with @.
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