Real question, anyone know any good documentaries about life as a refugee in Germany? Willing to read English subtitles. Also, how about some really long in-depth articles? I remember spending a few hours about life in a bad Chicago neighborhood and thinking "oh, now everything makes sense." Would like the same experience with this "situation", which is so far away from my comprehension I can't form any opinions about it.
In The Netherlands the government provides the following to any asylum seeker that awaits processing in an asylum center
- Allowance money
- Pass for public transit
- Food
- Shelter
- Education
- Free Wifi
- Healthcare (free)
- Dental care (free)
In The Netherlands the government provides the following to any asylum seeker that is either accepted (= has a legal status) or pending legal status after staying in the asylum centers
- Welfare benefits
- Healthcare (free)
- Dental care (free)
- Housing (paid for mostly by welfare benefits or highly subsidized)
- Appliances (free - if needed)
- Education (free)
- Language courses / get-to-know the country courses (paid - unless the refugee has no means to pay for it)
- Family reunion (basically any refugee is allowed to bring over their immediate family (kids/wife(sometimes underage), exceptions are also often granted for brothers, cousins, aunts, parents)
- Childcare benefits (basically every parent(except for the wealthy) receives government money to help pay for education, clothing, sports memberships, presents etc.)
What it can't provide
- Psychological help (mismanagement in this field has severely reduced this on a local level)
- Location of their own choosing (housing is provided by the government and thus refugees can't pick and choose the city they want to live (unless they arrange housing themselves after obtaining legal status)
- Protection for LGTBQ / Qurds / Christians in asylum centers (those people are often housed elsewhere to prevent 'conflicts' with the other refugees)
In Germany the rules are basically the same.
The above is why thousands of Africans voluntarily drown every week in order to reach the shores of Europe.
To get a legal status all you need to do is:
A. File the paperwork
B. Show the intend that you wish to learn the language
C. Pass a simple test
D. (in some cases) Produce evidence that shows that your own country is not safe to live in and that you are a political refugee (but only if your country is not on the list of known war zones or shit holes)
(by the definition we use in Holland a CNN reporter who has been called 'Enemy of the people' would be allowed to stay and obtain a legal status in the Netherlands)
What happens when you need to leave the country?
Usually processing asylum requests takes a lot of time. So by the time the 'decision' is made the refugees have found housing outside of the asylum centers.
They will receive a letter informing them that they have to leave the country by a certain date and in some cases travel expenses will be paid for.
In some cases they are taken to a detention center at the airport awaiting to be put on a flight back 'home'. But those are usually the ones who've already come in touch with the legal system in some way.
