Refugee Council Berlin

Refugee Council Berlin
Name	Refugee Council Berlin
Native name	Landesflüchtlingsrat Berlin
Formation	1986
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Berlin
Region served	Berlin-Brandenburg
Languages	German, English, Arabic, Farsi, Russian
Leader title	Board Chair
Leader name	volunteer leadership

Refugee Council Berlin is a Berlin-based non-governmental organization dedicated to the rights, protection, and social integration of asylum seekers and refugees in Berlin and the surrounding Brandenburg region. The Council operates at the intersection of legal assistance, social services, and political advocacy, engaging with municipal institutions, regional parliaments such as the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin, and civil society networks including Caritas Deutschland and Diakonie Deutschland. It maintains collaborations with international NGOs and multilateral bodies like UNHCR, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch while engaging directly with communities affected by displacement from crises in regions linked to Syria, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa.

History

Founded in 1986 amid escalating debates about asylum law reform in the Federal Republic of Germany and after events such as the 1992 Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots, the Council emerged alongside refugee advocacy groups active during the Cold War and the post-German reunification period. During major migratory events like the 2015 European migrant crisis and policy shifts such as changes to the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz and rulings by the Bundesverfassungsgericht, the Council expanded its programs to address reception, accommodation, and legal counseling. It has been involved in campaigns responding to decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and collaborated with networks formed after the Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks and Balkan route developments. Over decades the organization has archived witness accounts, engaged with research institutions including the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung and contributed to reports cited by the Deutscher Bundestag committees on migration.

Mission and Objectives

The Council’s stated mission centers on protection of human rights as articulated in instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, advocacy for humane asylum procedures influenced by jurisprudence from the European Court of Justice, and the promotion of social inclusion initiatives modeled on programs linked to UNICEF and ILO standards. Objectives include ensuring access to legal representation in proceedings before administrative courts like the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin; improving living conditions in reception centers similar to those examined by Pro Asyl; and fostering language and vocational integration through partnerships with institutions like the Berliner Senat and local NGOs such as Refugees Welcome.

Organizational Structure

The Council operates with a volunteer board, paid staff, and thematic working groups that mirror structures used by organizations like Amnesty International and Transparency International. Committees focus on legal aid, housing, health, and youth services, coordinating with municipal departments including the Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten and state agencies modeled after the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge. Advisory bodies include academics from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, practitioners from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and representatives from ethnic community groups connected to diasporas from Iraq, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

Activities and Services

The organization provides legal counseling, psychosocial support, interpretation services, and advocacy for access to education and labor market measures linked to programs by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. It offers community outreach inspired by grassroots movements such as Seebrücke and collaborates with cultural institutions like the Haus der Kulturen der Welt for public awareness events. Services include emergency relief during reception crises akin to the 2015 sheltering responses, workshops on asylum law comparable to trainings by Refugee Legal Support organizations, and support for unaccompanied minors coordinated with youth welfare offices like the Jugendamt.

Advocacy and Legal Work

The Council engages in strategic litigation and policy lobbying, submitting briefs to bodies such as the European Committee of Social Rights and participating in public hearings before the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin and committees of the Bundesregierung. It has campaigned against deterrence policies influenced by Dublin Regulation interpretations and commented on legislative drafts relating to the Asylverfahrensgesetz. Collaborations include coalition-building with groups like Pro Asyl, Caritas, and trade unions such as the Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund to influence asylum policy, reception standards, and labor access for refugees.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources combine project grants from foundations similar to the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Stiftung Mercator, public funding from municipal budgets of the Land Berlin, and donations coordinated through networks like Aktion Mensch. Partnerships extend to universities including Freie Universität Berlin, health providers such as vivantes Netzwerk für Gesundheit, and international civil society platforms like PICUM and European Council on Refugees and Exiles for capacity building and research projects.

Criticism and Controversies

The Council has faced criticism from political parties including factions in the Alternative für Deutschland and debates in media outlets such as Der Spiegel and Die Welt over stances on open-border advocacy and emergency accommodation practices. Some municipal actors and property managers have contested its positions during protests reminiscent of clashes around asylum shelters in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Internal disputes over strategic priorities mirrored challenges seen in other NGOs like Save the Children and prompted reviews similar to governance evaluations by watchdogs such as Charity Commission analogues.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in Berlin Category:Refugee aid organizations in Germany