Local support as the key to integration
Refugees face a variety of challenges after arriving in Germany: From residence law issues and access to education to administrative matters and psychosocial stress. "By expanding the range of advisory services, we are shortening the distances and ensuring that support is available more quickly. This is an important step towards successful integration," emphasizes Gesa Kitschke, Managing Director of Diakonie Altholstein. She adds: "Integration works best where people live. That's why we deliberately focus on local services that provide guidance and enable participation right from the start."
The need is clearly evident at the advice center. "People are very grateful that they no longer have to travel long distances to get advice," reports Reza Hashemi, migration advisor at Diakonie Altholstein in Hanerau-Hademarschen. "In particular, we provide support for arriving in Germany and take the first steps towards successful integration into society and working life together."
Challenges in rural areas and strong local commitment
In recent years, the municipality of Hanerau-Hademarschen has developed noticeably as a result of the reception and accommodation of refugees. With the increasing need for care, housing and structured processes, existing services have been expanded and new support channels created. Administration, politics, charities and many volunteers are increasingly working together to implement integration in practice on the ground. The aim is to offer refugees reliable prospects and at the same time strengthen cohesion in the community in the long term.
At the same time, however, there are structural challenges that are typically prevalent in rural areas: Limited offers of language and integration courses as well as longer distances to advice centers make access to support more difficult. Local public transport is also less developed, which makes access to work, education and authorities even more difficult.
There are also general hurdles, which are not only a challenge in rural areas: entering the labor market, for example, is made more difficult by language barriers, a lack of recognition of qualifications and limited training opportunities. Social integration also requires special attention: established structures offer stability, but are not always easily accessible to newcomers. Many support services are also based on voluntary work, the capacities of which are limited.
At the same time, Hanerau-Hademarschen has an active community. Associations, initiatives and social organizations create important meeting places and promote interaction between locals and newcomers. Educational programs and involvement in daycare centers and schools make an important contribution to integration. Voluntary support in everyday life complements these structures and enables concrete participation.
Against this background, the new advice center of the Diakonie Altholstein is of particular importance. "The additional advice centre enables needs to be identified at an early stage, individual solutions to be found and municipal structures to be relieved in the long term," explains Thomas Deckner, Mayor of Hanerau-Hademarschen.
District Director Carsten Klug underlines the relevance: "Strengthening local integration work is an investment in the social cohesion of our region. Short distances and direct contacts make a decisive difference. Thanks to its experience in this area, Diakonie Altholstein is therefore exactly the right partner to work alongside the administration."
The service has been used intensively since it opened: In the period from September 15 to December 11, around 150 counseling appointments have already been held. The majority of those seeking advice come from Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Eritrea. Despite little public advertising at first, the service has been in constant demand from the outset. Reza Hashemi has become a central contact person for many of those seeking advice. Thanks to his language skills, he is able to build trust and create low-threshold access to advice.
"Our aim is to reach refugees at an early stage and provide them with individual support. This takes the pressure off state services, as refugees become independent more quickly and actively participate in community life. In this way, we create the basis for integration to succeed in the long term," says Gesa Kitschke. "We would like to thank Amt Mittelholstein for their trust in our work and our local employees." With the expanded range of services, Diakonie Altholstein is underlining its role as a reliable partner for local authorities. At the same time, the advice center also offers an important point of contact for volunteers and committed citizens to provide targeted support and shape integration together on site.
More information:Refugee advice center Hanerau-Hademarschen
Photo (from left): Thomas Deckner, BGM, Sandra Mohr, Head of Citizen Services Amt Mittelholstein, Carsten Klug, Director Amt Mittelholstein, Gesa Kitschke, Managing Director Diakonie Altholstein, Reza Hashemi, Migration Advisor Diakonie Altholstein, Anna-Lena Walczak, Head of Migration & Integration Diakonie Altholstein.