Help for unaccompanied refugee children: a teacher project in Berlin

Help for unaccompanied refugee children: a teacher project in Berlin

Treptow-Köpenick, Deutschland - The situation of unaccompanied minor refugees in Germany remains dramatic and requires urgent measures. Many of these young people who are entered or left to the EU without accompanying an adult, as the case of a 16-year-old Georgian shows, are often forced to flee from personal persecution such as the rejection of their sexual identity. These young people are often found in uncertain conditions and need special support and support.

The 16-year-old Georgian, who came out as a gay and was then excluded by her family and society, fled to Germany. There she was accommodated in the initial reception center of the "Navitas" sponsor in Berlin in 2022. Her supervisor, Giuli Kariquli, who herself came to Germany as a refugee in 2018, took care of the girl intensively. Kariquli has been recognized as an educator since December 2024 and has launched the pilot project of "Navitas" for the training of educators for unaccompanied minor refugees. In this context, 22 teachers have already been trained, while 21 others are in training.

urgent need for specialists

Falko Liecke, State Secretary of the CDU, underlines the increasing need for qualified staff in child and youth welfare. Of the over 18,000 specialists in this area, only 4,950 are recognized as educators. This shows the acute lack of specially trained specialists, especially for unaccompanied minor refugees. In view of the increasing figures for minor refugees who came to Berlin in recent years - 3,202 in 2022 and 3,104 in 2023 - the time to close this gap.

The introduction of special training programs, such as those offered by "Navitas", could help in the long term to meet the qualitative requirements in the care of this vulnerable group. The training includes important content such as child protection and social skills, which is described by the teacher Fidaa al-Hazan as significant for coping with the crisis.

changes in the numbers and financial expenses

In 2024, the number of unaccompanied minor refugees in Berlin drastically dropped to only 1,748, which means a daily arrival of only three young people. In the same year, the city of Berlin spent 86 million euros for the care of these young people. These financial means are necessary to meet the special treatment needs of the newcomers.

unaccompanied minors, such as the Georgian, have to apply for asylum in Germany, which is a great challenge, especially for very young and in need of protection. According to the requirements of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the state of health and the age of the minors are checked during the take -in. The youth welfare office plays a central role in ensuring that the child's welfare is not endangered and the care corresponds to the legal requirements. This also includes the appointment of a guardian that must have knowledge of asylum and immigration law.

The Federal Government has realized that it is urgently necessary to improve the situation of unaccompanied minor refugees and to reform the legal framework and the care controls. bamf.de exemplarily show that measures in the training of specialists and the legal representation of unaccepted minors are decisive for this vulnerable group a future enable.