New life in Mellrichstadt: Refugees are looking for work and happiness

New life in Mellrichstadt: Refugees are looking for work and happiness

In the shared accommodation for asylum seekers in Mellrichstadt, numerous people from different countries live from war and poverty. Resat Tatli, a 43-year-old Kurd from Turkey, was looking for protection in Germany with his family a year and a half ago. After seven years in prison in Turkey, because of his support from YPG, he hopes to finally find a German passport and work. His children attend the local school and the eldest daughter strives for a career as a dental assistant. "We want to work and not go to the social welfare office," explains Tatli, who speaks fluently German. Nour Abdirisaag from Somalia, who has lived in the accommodation for two months, describes his home as characterized by violence and poverty. He has not seen his family for a decade and is in regular contact with them on the cell phone.

living conditions and support in accommodation

The shared accommodation was set up in a former vocational school in 2016 and currently offers space for around 100 asylum seekers. Around 85 people currently live in the facility who share the kitchen, toilets and common rooms. Many of the residents work, for example in the Rhön Clinic or for cleaning companies. Manfred Bach, the property manager, emphasizes that integration works on the whole and that fewer conflicts occur than in the past. The asylum seekers are supported not only by the property management, but also by the local helper circle, which helps the residents to find their way around in Germany.

The SPD parliamentary group in Mellrichstadt recently visited accommodation to find out about the current circumstances and challenges. Government director Thomas Weingart emphasized the need for improved psychological care for asylum seekers. "Around 50,000 affordable apartments are missing in Bavaria," criticized Dr. Bärbel Kofler, member of the Bundestag, the situation on the housing market. It demands more support for social housing in order to meet the needs of the growing number of asylum seekers, as is the case with Mainpost berichtet wurde. In Mellrichstadt you strive for solutions to enable asylum seekers a better future, often accompanied by the hope of your own home.

The facility is regularly visited by representatives of the district office who offer consultation hours to support in applications and other concerns. Despite the challenges that life in a community accommodation brings, the residents recognize the value of the offers of help and social integration. According to Bach, around 20 percent of the residents are already working, and many want a future in which they can make a living themselves, while they appreciate the support of the community, as on the side of the SPD Mellrichstadt .