Forst welcomes refugees: New Welcome Center opens doors!

Forst welcomes refugees: New Welcome Center opens doors!

In an impressive step towards integration, the district of Spree-Neisse opened its first “Welcome Center” in the city of Forst on Friday! This central point of contact for refugees offers a concentrated load of support and services that were previously accommodated in an interim solution. The new premises bundle different social institutions and are designed to help migrants search for work, apartments and German courses.

Mahmoud Mehani, the project manager of the "Welcome Center", emphasizes the importance of personal conversations. "We want to support the specialists and craftsmen who have arrived in our region in integration into the labor market and general society," he explains. Even before the official opening, his team had over 200 consultations, which illustrates the enormous needs in the region. District Administrator Harald Altkrüger (CDU) confirms: "There are several thousand people who have found refuge with us. They have to be looked after." Many of them have already found jobs while others are still waiting for their chance.

other "Welcome Center" in planning

The success story continues! Additional “Welcome Centers” in Guben and Spremberg will be opened in the coming year, supported by an investment of 1.2 million euros from the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Forster "Welcome Center" is also expanded to include a nursing base that offers older people and their relatives valuable information on care. The coordination office of the federal program "Live democracy!" is accommodated here, which underlines the variety of offers.

The concept of the "Welcome Center" has already gained a foot in Cottbus, where a similar center was opened in the summer of 2023. There is actively promoted foreign specialists to meet the need for qualified workers in the region. The Initiative shows that integration is not just a keyword, but is tangible through concrete measures and offers!