It has become easier for refugees from Ukraine to open an account at a German bank. In the meantime, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bafin) has decided that it is not mandatory to have a biometric ID. Other Ukrainian identity documents are now also accepted in conjunction with a document from a German authority. The prerequisite is that the name on the document matches the name on the ID card. The Tübingen District Office will contact all Ukrainian refugees who have applied for benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act and do not yet have an account. Those who have… Read More
Tag: Refugees
If the settlement permit fails due to a housing requirement …
By Qoutayba Abboud and Michael Seifert Refugees who came to Germany in 2015 or 2016 can now obtain a settlement permit and thus permanent residence. This is a solidification of residence and represents the first step towards obtaining German citizenship for many. Important prerequisites for this are good German language skills, securing a livelihood through work and contributions to German pension insurance. Another issue, housing regulations, is currently causing problems for some refugees in the city and the district of Tübingen. tünews INTERNATIONAL has been informed of several cases in which settlement permits were rejected for this reason. The Residence… Read More
Visit visas are often refused: “Like a punch in the stomach”
By Oula Mahfouz and Ute Kaiser The Syrian grandparents in Turkey had one fervent wish: to see their children and grandchildren living in Germany and finally take them into their arms. The 71-year-old grandfather and the 63-year-old grandmother have only known their school-age grandchildren from photos and video calls. The family has been separated since they fled Syria – for six years now. All family members suffer from separation pain, says Hanin (name changed), the daughter who lives in Tübingen. Suddenly, “a light at the end of the tunnel” appeared for them. The family hoped for a reunion in Germany.… Read More
What the new government plans for refugees and migrants
By Michael Seifert The new federal government, formed by the so-called “traffic light coalition” of the parties SPD, “Bündnis 90/Die Grünen” and FDP, has described its plans for the next four years in a coalition agreement. This also contains the political intentions for migration, integration and refugee policy. The realisation of these plans is to take place in laws and amendments to laws. At the moment, no one knows what will actually be implemented and when. So these are declarations of intent. tünews INTERNATIONAL took a closer look at the coalition agreement. The new government formulates as its goal: “We… Read More
Political blackmail with refugees in Belarus has many predecessors in history
For many weeks, the media have been reporting that thousands of refugees from Arab countries and Afghanistan are trying to reach the EU at the borders of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania. There they want to apply for political asylum after being flown to the capital Minsk and brought from there to the border. Poland has erected a high barbed wire fence at the border and border guards keep pushing the refugees back into Belarusian territory, where they have to camp out in the open in the winter cold. There have already been several fatalities. The EU accuses the Belarusian… Read More
tünews INTERNATIONAL gained reach in 2021
By Wolfgang Sannwald More and more people are taking notice of tünews INTERNATIONAL. This has been confirmed by the doubled number of clicks on our articles. We have been collecting click figures since March 15th, 2020, when we switched from printed wall newspapers and magazines to digital e-news in the middle of the first Corona lockdown. In 2020, we published 609 news stories online; in 2021, we published 391 by the end of November. We consistently research and write our own news. We do not publish opinion pieces, but factual and fact-based reports. Our news is published in four languages:… Read More
Afghan refugees are currently unable to obtain identity documents
Many refugees from Afghanistan living in Germany are currently having problems fulfilling their “obligation to cooperate” in obtaining identity documents such as a tazkira or passport. Due to the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, it is no longer possible to obtain identity documents from the embassy or consulates. At the Afghan consulate in Munich, for example, it is no longer possible to apply for a Tazkira, as the homepage required for this has been deactivated. Passports are no longer issued for an indefinite period of time; only extensions are still possible. This means that anyone who now receives a… Read More
Possibilities of applying for asylum after the Taliban’s seizure of power
The change in the political situation and the human rights situation following the seizure of power by the Taliban in Afghanistan also has a decisive impact on Afghan refugees in Germany whose applications for asylum have been rejected with legal effect. This is because the BAMF can no longer refer to allegedly safe cities and regions in Afghanistan in its decisions. This is what the Tübingen initiatives “move on” and “Plan B” write in an advisory leaflet for Afghan refugees. In this respect, refugees who are currently only tolerated (Geduldet) have a good chance of success with a follow-up asylum… Read More
Help for refugees in Tübingen at the new location
The Social Welfare Department of the City of Tübingen has moved. It is now located at Derendinger Straße 50. It is about a ten-minute walk from the main railway station. Lines 2, 5 and 16 take about four minutes from the station to the Hegelstraße bus stop. The building is barrier-free and has a lift. In the department for assistance for refugees, the staff advise on all questions of daily life—for example, language acquisition, education, work integration as well as housing, education and participation. Office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 8.30 to 11.30 a.m. and by appointment. Appointments must… Read More
Help for refugees not available for a week
The social department of the city of Tübingen is relocating. This affects the departments help for refugees, social assistance and social planning. During the week from Monday September 27th to Friday October 1st, the employees are therefore not available. The new address after the move is: Derendinger Straße 50, 72072 Tübingen. That’s in the south of town. From the beginning of October around 65 employees will be working there. Their phone numbers and email addresses will not change. tun21092106 Der Fachbereich Soziales der Stadt Tübingen ist ab Oktober 2021 in der Derendinger Straße 50, 72072 Tübingen zu finden. Foto: tünews… Read More