Studying in Tuebingen: The refugee program of the University of Tuebingen makes it possible By Feras Trayfi During the last years, a great number of refugees from various countries and with different reasons for fleeing their countries arrived in Germany. There are many among them, whose course of education has been interrupted by their… ?? In order to specifically target and help those people, the University of Tuebingen founded the “refugee-program”. This nine-month-program is to provide them with … to find good career options and follow their dreams. Feras Trayfi and Michael Seifert from tünews INTERNATIONAL attended a… Read More
Category: News In English
Strengths and weaknesses
Integrationcourse Strengths and weaknesses by Michael Seifert The integration course is compulsory for all recognized refugees and of central importance for their integration into German society. But in many cases, it is publicly criticized. For example, Annette Widmann-Mauz, Minister of State for Migration, Refugees and Integration, called for a “quality offensive for the integration courses” in 2018. Because: “In the years 2017/2018, the overall pass rate for language test B1 dropped to below 50 percent.” We asked the editors of tünews INTERNATIONAL about their personal experiences with the integration course. The range of opinions varies widely, from very positive to… Read More
Which German-class can I take part in?
Learning German Which German-class can I take part in? by Naeem Nazari In the district of Tübingen there are very different German courses for refugees. Which course you are allowed to participate in is determined by the asylum status and the country of origin. Integration Course (up to B1): The most important German course is the Integration Course. The goal of the integration course is to reach level B1. If a person knows the Latin alphabet, they start with A1 and attend the course for 600 hours followed by 100 hours of orientation. That takes about 7 months. Those who… Read More
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day On Thursday, 20.06.19 the World Refugee Day is held globally. This day was declared to be a worldwide day of action by the United Nations in 2001, in order to shed light on the fates of refugees around the world and work towards improving their living situations. In Germany, this day was declared the national commemoration day for the victims of displacement and expulsion, to bring special attention to the victims of the Second World War as well. Numerous humanitarian organisations around the world will take action on this day to support refugees around the world. … Read More
What does an Ermessensduldung mean?
What does an Ermessensduldung mean? An “Ermessensduldung” (discretionary suspension of removal) is issued, if a person cannot be removed from a country due to reasons of public, humanitarian or personal interest (§ 60a Abs, 2 Satz 3 AufenthG). “Discretionary” in this context does not mean that the authorities decide in an arbitrary fashion on an individual level. Rather it implies that there are several possible decisions. Each decision is made based on certain criteria. For example, if somebody has found a place for an apprenticeship and is to begin this apprenticeship within 6 months, he is a likely candidate… Read More
Distance-learning University “Kiron” for refugees
Distance-learning University “Kiron” for refugees by Mohammed Kheer Hazeem Many refugees in Germany have great difficulties if they want to study at a university. They often have to wait for a long time for a spot at the university, but also the bureaucracy is causing great difficulties. But the biggest hurdle is learning the German language. In order to overcome these obstacles, in 2015 the „Kiron“ (Kiron Open Higher Education for Refugees) was founded. It is only for refugees who want to study, and the number of study places is not limited. In order to avoid long waiting… Read More
The thousand names of the camel – Arabic is more than a language
world language The thousand names of the camel – Arabic is more than a language by Oula Mahfouz When the great German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described the Arabic language, he expresses, that in this language spirit, word and writing belong together and form a unity. Where is Arabic spoken? Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide. It is the official language in 22 countries and is spoken by a part of the population as a mother tongue in eleven other countries. Arabic belongs to the family of the Semitic language. The name “Semitic” was invented… Read More
“Yoga is my life“
Body Art “Yoga is my life“ Mostafa Elyasian Tünews INTERNATIONAL visited Afssaneh Freshteh Lotfi, a yoga teacher born in Iran. In an interview, she describes her work: “A few years ago, I accidentally stumbled upon yoga. Since then, it has completely changed my life, so that I can now say, that it was one of the most important decisions of my life. Yoga has been defined in many ways and everyone choses themselves, whether it is a form of art, science or philosophy. When I started doing yoga, I was 40 years old. A few years later, I participated in… Read More
Karl May and his worldview
adventure Karl May and his worldview By Sameer Ibrahim in the houses of the Saxon town Ernstthal many Fairy tales and legends were told in the 19th century. At the same time, people suffered from poverty and misery, and their children often died shortly after birth because of poor hygiene or malnutrition. Under these circumstances Karl May was born on January 25, 1842 in Ernstthal. The May family, like the neighboring families and the rest of the city, was poor and unhappy. The family consisted of THE parents and 14 children, nine of whom died very early. Fortunately, Karl survived.… Read More
Nadia Murad fights for justice for her people
Nobel prize Nadia Murad fights for justice for her people By Michael Seifert I am sitting in a large kitchen with Ayad, a Yazidi who fled from Iraq to Germany, and some members of his family. Twelve of them live in an apartment in the district of Tübingen. On the wall hangs a big flag of Germany. We want to talk about Nadia Murad, a 25-year-old Yazidi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2018. “When I heard that, I was really happy. It was like receiving the prize myself. And with me all the Yazidis were happy.… Read More