About us
Flight and migration occur despite and contrary to all state regulations and prevention attempts. However, nobody flees voluntarily. People leave their countries of origin due to particular life situations in which they are acutely threatened and need protection and support.
However, since the repulsion of refugees usually takes precedence over this protection, committed individuals, initiatives and organisations in the refugee solidarity in Bavaria initiated the Bavarian Refugee Council as a non-partisan and supra-regional umbrella organisation in 1986.
As a human rights organisation, we agitate for the rights of refugees and migrants. We are firmly convinced that the enforcement of human rights must have precedence over a policy of refugee repulsion. We are struggling for a genuine right of residence for all refugees. We are strictly opposed to deportations. The return of refugees should only occur as a free and self-determined act. We oppose the exclusion and isolation of refugees through accommodation in refugee camps and demand equal rights for all.
We offer advisory services, information and when necessary legal assistance to refugees, committed groups and individual persons. Through publicity work, we try to contribute to an increase in the societal acceptance of refugees and migrants. At the point where individual negotiation reaches its limit, we bewail the inhumane living conditions employing a wide variety of ways, in order to achieve structural improvements for refugees. Our areas of work are specifically:
Legal advisory services
Most refugees cannot afford a lawyer. The refugee council helps here. Through the Legal Aid Fund of Pro Asyl we assist 20 to 30 lawsuits with special significance yearly thereby enabling important precedents. Additionally, we facilitate legal advice throughout Bavaria and offer further training for refugee advisory centres and volunteers.
Individual case help
For us every person counts. The refugee council supports refugees in existential distress and applies political pressure beyond that. Through petitions, publicity work and legal support, we scandalise separation of families, deportations and every day chicanery.
Project work
The refugee council supports & facilitates numerous voluntary projects. In Café 104, people without papers get advisory and medical aid. Young refugees find a platform for articulating their interests at „Jugendliche ohne Grenzen“. At „Deutschland Lagerland“, refugees and initiatives from all over Bavaria advocate for the abolition of camp accommodation. African refugees are engaged in „Arbeitskreis Panafrikanismus“ and enable trans-national networking. The „Arbeitskreis Panafrikanismus“ organises the Pan-Africanism Congress which enables social, cultural and intellectual interaction among Africans of all nationalities and German friends. We support the organisation in nation-specific networks by refugees against their deportation such as currently to Syria.
Campaigns
Regularly, we start campaigns together with other initiatives and organisations in refugee solidarity. The regular intake of refugees from crises regions (compliant with UNHCR) is demanded with the „save-me“-campaign. Deportations to Iraq and Ethiopia were prevented and particular refugee camps were closed down.
Lecture series
The discussion on flight, asylum and migration in Germany is determined by a lot of dangerous superficial knowledge and quickly concluded prejudices. We would like to somewhat counter this. As a result, we offer schools, organisations and interested groups the opportunity of gaining an insight in the subject matter through lectures. Our lectures are tailored to suit the specific interests of the groups.
Patrons’ association of the Bavarian Refugee Council
The Patrons’ association of the Bavarian Refugee Council supports the work of the Refugee Council since 1991. Presently, it has about 400 members whose contributions ensure the independence of the Refugee Council.
The association is represented by:
- Irmi Deschler, Munich
- Iris Ludwig, Lawyer, Munich
- Michael Koch, Lawyer, Würzburg
Pro Asyl
The Bavarian Refugee Council is a member of the Federal Working Group PRO ASYL. In this way, the Refugee Council helps to shape the refugee work on the federal level and participates in information exchange on current issues ant decisions in the area of asylum policy and practice. Pro Asyl supports the Bavarian Refugee Council through a yearly subvention for the on-going work.
Donate!
Refugee work is not in vain and definitely not free of charge. We would therefore be very pleased about your donations to support the work of the Bavarian Refugee Council. Upon request, we shall issue a donation receipt for your donation.
Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat (Bavarian Refugee Council)
Bank Name: Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
Bank Code: 700 205 00
Account No.: 88 32 602
