WELCOME TO TREPTOW-KÖPENICK Guide for Newcomers Impressum Welcome to Treptow-Köpenick Information for Migrants 1. Edition Berlin, March 2018 Editor District administration Treptow-Köpenick, Berlin Office of the district major – Integration Alt-Köpenick 21, 12555 Berlin Tel.: +49 (0) 30 / 90297-2308, Fax: +49 (0) 30 / 90297-2360 [email protected], www.treptow-koepenick.de in cooperation with InteraXion - Welcoming office for migrants and refugees in Treptow-Köpenick c/o Villa offensiv Hasselwerderstraße 38 - 40, 12439 Berlin Tel.: +49 (0) 1577 3151 386 [email protected], www.interaxion-tk.de Editorial team Anne Güntzel, Christine Herm, Katharina Stökl Layout Martin Thiel (www.martinthiel.de) Greetings from the distict major, Mr. Oliver Igel In the last couple of years, many people moved to Berlin and to Treptow- Köpenick. It cannot be seen that this trend will come to an end. It is not just those coming from within Germany, but also those coming from other countries, who are now playing a more important role. Therefore, I am happy to present this information containing a variety of things on offer in Treptow-Köpenick and in general Berlin to our new Berliners and to those supporting them. I hope that the information provides you with a good orientation in what can seem a complex system of administration, and makes your move to Treptow-Köpenick easier! You are most welcome! Your Oliver Igel 3 Greetings from the team of InteraXion – Welcome office for newcomers in Treptow-Köpenick We are happy to provide you with useful information to support you in finding your way around in Treptow-Köpenick and Berlin. It should help you to find your way in Treptow-Köpenick and Berlin. Certainly, it isnot a substitute for one to one support or the support of friends and family. This document will help you with finding the correct points of contact that will be able to help you with your many questions. We want you to feel welcome here - both in Berlin and Treptow-Köpenick. You are an enrichment for us and we wish you all the best! If you have further questions, our door will always be open as well as at other. Your team at InteraXion, Katharina Stökl and Anne Güntzel Which projects have we chosen? What happens with the information in the future? We have divided the information into different sections on questions that will be important for you both during your arrival in Germany and after. Whether it be learning German, education, finding employment or an apartment. Also, questions related to health will come sooner or later. You will find firstly the local points of contact in Treptow-Köpenick and then the ones in the whole of Berlin. The information provided are the ones that we find the most useful. This information will be updated every year. If you have any suggestions for improving the information we provide, please get in touch with the team at InteraXion, [email protected], or the commissioner for integration of the district of Treptow-Köpenick, Gregor Postler or the coordinator of refugee matters for the district of Treptow-Köpenick, Christine Herm via [email protected]. 5 CONTENT0 Information and Counselling 9 1 Registration and Residence 16 1.1 Registration and Residence in Germany 17 1.2 Registration of marriages and births 21 1.3 Family Reunification 22 2 Language 24 2.1 Integration classes and learning German with locals 25 2.2 Online offers to learn German (Selection) 28 3 Health and need of special protection / vunerability 30 3.1 Pregnancy 35 3.2 Unaccompanied minor refugees 38 3.3 Disability 39 3.4 Psycho-sociological challenges / addictions 41 3.5 Offers for Women 43 4. Accommodation 44 4.1 Overview of supporting initiatives in Berlin (Selection) 49 4.2 Apartment Building societies and 51 Internet plattforms 7 4.3 Emergency accommodation for refugees 51 5 Education 54 5.1 Recognition of your qualifications 57 5.2 School / Training 159 5.3 Studying 63 6 Integration in the job market 68 6.1 Looking for work and qualification 70 6.2 Setting up a business 175 6.3 Internet plattforms 76 CONTENT 7 Encounter and Participation 78 7.1 Participation in Treptow-Köpenick 79 7.2 Youth 85 7.3 Children and family 90 7.4 Senior citizens 91 7.5 People with disabilities 92 7.6 Sports 93 7.7 Women 93 7.8 Education and culture 195 7.9 Participation in Berlin 96 8 General Points of Contact 100 8.1 Women / Family 102 8.2 Discrimination 104 8.3 LGBTIQ* 107 8.4 Rights 108 8.5 Protection 109 8.6 Emergency Numbers 111 7 0 Information and Counselling Information and Counselling In the beginning you often ask yourself about your right to remain and your future here in Germany. It does not matter whether you are here to look for work, or to join the rest of your family or to claim asylum. - ever- yone has a bunch of questions when arriving. The answers to questions regarding legal status and financial support are found in the Residence Act and the Asylum Seekers Act. Here we will provide you with the most important points of contact. The Residence Act The Residence Act regulates the matter of residency for those who live in Germany and do not hold the German citizenship. Due to the EU freedom of Movement Act, the Residence Act is of most importance for those holding citizenship from a country outside the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA). Some of the main points of the act: • Entry requirements and residency • Approval, refusal and repeal of residency permit • Deportation The Ordnance of Recidency (AufenthV) and the Employment Regulations (BeschV) regulate the Residence Act. It is also responsible for issuing passports, processing visas and the right to work for those coming from abroud. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/ Asylum Seekers Act The Asylum Seekers Act (AsylbLG) regulates the material entitlement for asylum seekers, those with short term residency and those with foreign citizenships, those with ‘forced deportation’. What does that mean? Your status will determine the standard, financial and accommodati- 9 on benefits you are entitled to. Accommodation includes emergency accommodation, communal accommodation and apartments including also a single room in a shared apartment. The first 15 months of your stay, those who are entitled to receive standard benefits will do so in accordance with paragraph 3 of the Asylum Seekers Act. After that, you receive so-called „Analogleistungen“, which means analogue services to SGB II (Jobcenter) and SGB XII (social welfare). You find this regulation ni §2 of AsylbLG. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/asylblg/ State Office for matters relating to Refugees The state office for matters relating to refugees (LAF) is responsible for all those receiving support in accordance with the Asylum seekers act. It is also responsible for those who are still in the process of seeking asylum (Aufenthaltsgestattung), who are having a short-term residency (Duldung ohne Arbeitserlaubnis) or who are facing a forced deportation (vollziehbar ausreisepflichtig). The LAF has a department for financial support, rental concerns and a social service for people needing special protection. Many of you might know the LAF as a department of the LAGeSo, but now the LAF is its own institution. You can find it at Darwinstr. 14-18, 10589 Berlin. www.berlin.de/laf/ Federal Office for Migration and Refugees The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is responsible for the procedure of seeking asylum and supports a variety of programs dealing with integration. In addition it is home to a research centre Information and Counselling und Beratung focussing on European cooperation concerning migration. The decision in the asylum procedure are made by the BAMF. The interview and the hearing will take place at the BAMF. www.bamf.de Foreigners Registration Office Every district in Germany and each bigger city has a Foreigners Regis- tration Office. They enforce the Foreigners Act. This means that they issue papers such as residence permits or papers which include the right to work or study, settlement permits, but they can also terminate your residence permit. If you are in the procedure of seeking asylum and you want to work, you must get the agreement by the Foreigners Registra- tion Office. The Foreigners Act is valid for all of Germany, but the Home Secretaries of each German state issue action points to their offices. www.berlin.de/labo/willkommen-in-berlin/ Office administrative issues - Where do I go to get what service? Berlin holds a variety of points of contact – depending on the topic and the responsibility. The administration is well connected. For all with a residence permit (e.g. holding an acknowledgement of entitlement to asylum, award of refugee protection, award of subsidiary protection) the Public Office (Bürgerämter) are responsible for many issues: service. berlin.de/dienstleistungen/. Refugees who are still in the procedure of seeking asylum can go to two special Public Offices for Refugees: service.berlin.de/standort/327539/. 11 Counselling Services You are looking for general advice and counselling? You do not know where to go with your concern? Here you can find the most important counselling services: InteraXion // Niederschöneweide • Welcome office for newcomers in Treptow-Köpenick. It provides initial counseling and support on the following topics: social or asylum law, labour market integration programs and access to education, expe- riences of discrimination, the search for flats. Further, it organises workshops, supports local meet-up groups and provides information on it‘s blog as well as through the Facebook group „Willkommen in Treptow-Köpenick!“ • offensiv’91 e.V.