2022 Munich Migration and Integration Service-Learning Study-Abroad

By Amy Yurwit Some of the most startling realizations from the last couple weeks:  At least among the population of Nigerian women in Fürstenfeldbruck, sex ed is severely lacking. The social workers try to organize workshops because the people receive no training on HIV/AIDS prevention and many women are apparently under the impression that babies grow in the stomach! Interestingly, the government provides tampons but not condoms. There are so, so many pregnant women because 1) people can’t afford, don’t know how, or won’t use condoms 2) are mistaken about Germany having a birthright law like the US (babies born in Germany are not automatically entitled to citizenship) or 3) when one is living in limbo, not allowed to work or even cook, what else is there to occupy your mind other than sex, with physical connection, I imagine, being one of the few attainable comforts in such a grim situation.  When we explained the evil but prevalent pra...

By, Kendrick Sanchez Over the course of our journey in Munich I would often converse with random German citizens while on the tram system, throughout the city streets, at refugee camps, and even in the very hotel we stayed at.  To my surprise, what I found disturbing was how there seems to be a shift in the political positioning toward the refugee migration crisis in Munich.  From these conversations, I learned how the German people were quite open to these people in the beginning who were facing incredible challenges and now seeking asylum in Germany.  However, as years have progressed, the attitude has shifted toward a more conservative and less open stance toward these refugees and would promote the idea of deportation.  This political crisis makes me think deeply about some of the relationships I was able to form with several refugees and how they are coming from really bad geopolitical environments but are the nicest people you could ever meet. I wonder what w...

One big problem here in Germany is complete integration. We have read about this in one of the lectures before we came to Germany and we have seen it and felt it. A lot of the people who volunteer with refugees and immigrants have “play dates” at the place the immigrates or refugees live, they are more than happy to go and hang out with them there, however, they never go out with them. The full integration hasn’t happened yet, I am not sure why? I have an opinion... maybe it is because volunteers want to feel good and they might feel like they are doing charity or community service that once they are done with it they just leave everything behind the door with the immigrants. Maybe they are ashamed of being seemed with them out in the real world.... who knows! I do think that programs like Buddies for Refugees are very important and need to be implemented everywhere to achieve full integration, volunteers need to be able to spend time with them not only at their homes but also out...

I have learned so much about the German immigration and refugee system. I am so lucky that I was able to be place under Monica from In Via supervision. Since the day I met her she provided me with all of the information I needed and answered all of my questions. I have to say that the German system or fortress is not made of iron, and it might be crumbling down, however, they have helped and have been helping so many people and for that I am grateful. Since the moment the refugees register as asylum seekers they have a roof over their heads, food, and healthcare. After a couple of days maybe weeks they are sent to a container or like I love to say a nicer housing situation. Asylum seekers get a monthly salary, free housing, and more depending on their individual situation. I am not familiar with how the process for asylum seekers is in any other country but I know for sure in Colombia and in The U.S. they don’t even give you housing and will not give you free money. The situation ...

As this trip progresses I find myself being surprised by something at nearly every turn. We have been so fortunate as to be included in so many different activities with different people every single day. However there are also many things that have not surprised me at all, though if you had told me I would not find these things surprising I would not have believed it. The evidence of the overwhelming tenacity and resilience of the human spirit continues to grow with each new person I meet, each new story I hear and each new friend I make.  The past couple of days have been truly singular and special. On Monday we were so lucky as to get to meet refugees from all over the place and speak with them and ask them questions. And every person I spoke to was incredible. From a woman from Eritrea who has literally been through all you can imagine- we’re talking forced marriage, grievous injury, etc. to the young man from Afghanistan who left his home country for reasons I can only gu...

This is in a refugee camp that is located closer to Munich. We learned a lot about the challenges of integrating refugees into the German population. Minor cultural differences are sometimes difficult to teach and identify. Sometimes the differences are small but have a large impact on the integration process. This picture is in a playroom for children staying in the camp.

Our group met Imam Bermon. This was my first time in a mosque. Hearing Bermon’s prayer was absolutely beautiful.

This is the entrance way to our camp. It used to be a Nazi bunker. Now it houses more than 1000 refugees. Over 90% are Nigerian.

When asylum seekers' clocks run out, they are taken and deported in the blink of an eye. One of our social workers even revealed that they are not notified or aware when people are suddenly deported; police come in early morning hours or the middle of the night. The migrants who flee and manage to avoid these police don't fair any better; as illegal immigrants they are forced to find jobs in which their employers can easily manipulate and take advantage of them. Often, migrants live in this constant state of insecurity, unsure of when their time in Germany will come to an end; stability and security is not a luxury afforded to these asylum seekers.

By Sabine Hirschauer I can't believe it is Friday - and our last day of this amazing trip, of these amazing two weeks. Everything went so fast - and was so incredibly intense. We had sun; we had the world cup; we won; we lost. We had rain; tears; head colds. And yet: So many wonderful, human moments. Thank you to this wonderful group of young NMSU students and to our NGO partners, who took this leap of faith with us - not knowing exactly what to expect, who expect - and: what to make of it all. Thank you all for hanging in there - and for your courage to experience something so completely new, different, so completely human. Bravo to you! 

Social workers are bad ass. What has really surprised me about this whole trip is how difficult their work is. There are many situations and aspects in which social workers are powerless, however, the asylum seekers see them as an all-powerful source of authority. Additionally, there social workers are often themselves scapegoats for the migrants; the immigrants see the workers as an extension of the government. This is a job that takes both patience and thick skin, and I've gained a lot of respect for the social workers.

By Isaac Garza En luz de Caritas, como un pequeño fuego encendiendo otros. Caritas as a cardinal virtue of love, building bridges across borders and walls. Missions are always complicated, but hope and courage are constant reminders for us to continue crossing the sahara. Helping rebuild one life means changing one person's world. Becoming a life craftman is our path in this life.  The real fighters defend life, establish hope and create justice.

By Amy Yurwit On our seventh visit to camp AE, the weather finally allowed a full tour. Our previous experiences had revolved mostly around familiarizing ourselves with the bureaucratic barriers imposed on both displaced people and Carita’s social workers. We were emotionally wrecked by the stories of suffering alone, which we gathered from the comfort of the tidy offices in the main buildings, but the impact of finally seeing these people’s living conditions was...terrifying. The camp is gigantic and the decaying stone buildings left from the war are nothing but oppressive. Inside it absolutely reeks of piss and shit— until you get to the daycare. The two rooms for children are bright and clean, stuffed with toys, and smell like crayons. The kids, with thousands of rainbow beads braided into their hair, laugh so easily. We wanted to stay and play in a place of peace but were forced back outside into the heavy heat. I found a scrap of paper folded up and stamped to the concrete,...

By, Kendrick Sanchez 7/5/2018 Today was a day of great reflection for me.  After such a long, busy, and at times stressful week with all of the city life encounters in Munich, I found myself at great peace while working with NGO social workers off of Burgauerstr. In an isolated location not far from the nearest S-Bahn station, is their refugee camp where I was met by the nicest Nigerian mothers and their children while standing in the outside community area where they garden and each refugee has their own area for harvesting whatever vegetable or fruit crop they wish. The wind and the light sprinkle of rain only added to the sense of peace and uncertainty that I could feel off of the energy from these refugees, especially when noting that these people have harvested from their own garden several times now.  It became apparent to me that they have certainly been here for quite a while... season to season.

Today, I take my time machine and go back to yesterday. In other words, this post is one day late. We visited Caritas Youth yesterday. Some of the minors (under 18) who came to Germany without guardians are living in Caritas Youth. Some of them lost contact with family during the travel; others were sent to Europe alone because their family could not afford to pay the smugglers to get all family members to Europe. The condition in Caritas Youth is better than the camp we have visited at Fürstenfeldbruck. However, it does not mean that they enjoy their stay. Because of the misinformation fed by the smugglers, those family who sent their kids to Europe thought that it is easier for their children to get asylum in Europe and then they could come and reunite with their children in Europe under asylum later on. However, it is obviously not the case in Germany, just like many lies smugglers tell people in Syria and Nigeria. These children, on the one hand, suffered the ordeal of trave...

Today is the second to last day of the program. Our group visited the Caritas Center at Fürstenfeldbruck (Caritas Zentrum Fürstenfeldbruck). We introduced the immigration status and politics in the United States to social workers at the center. In the meantime, through communication with social workers at the center, we made comparisons between two countries on immigration policy. During our communication, I have a further understanding of Caritas and its relationship with the German government.  First of all, Caritas is one of many charitable foundations in Germany. But only a few (two as we know of) are working with the government on helping refugee. That is because helping refugee requires a lot of resources and there are not many NGOs can afford it. Caritas is one of those that are big enough to assume the task. Caritas is certainly not part of the "resistance" against the government like many NGOs in the United States. Secondly, the resources for Caritas Center com...

     The second day did not have a good start. Not everything went the way as expected, however, it does not necessarily mean it was a bad day. On our way to the camp at Neufeld Nord, because we did not get the right ticket, five people paid 300 euro fine to two “ticket inspectors”. Then, we took the right bus in the wrong direction. Just in one day, we almost learned all the lessons we could learn about the Munich public transportation (I hope I do not jinx it.) I am not ranting. I am just writing. However, if it were not all the mistakes, we might lose an opportunity to learn. While waiting at the bus terminus (we were in the wrong direction, remember?) we started to chat with the bus driver. More accurately, Dr. Hirschauer and Amy were chatting with him. It turns out that the bus driver is from Slovenia. Because of freedom of movement for workers in the EU, lots of workers from other states under EU treaty take jobs in Germany. The bus driver has been wor...

By Raini Mae Schauer Being in our second week here in Munich, I’ve discovered that beauty is everywhere within the city. That being said, we have this far met with beautiful people doing wonderful work despite all the red tape and hardships they face trying to scramble for resources. Unlike our friends from the other groups, many of the refugees from our camp will never qualify for asylum, the acceptance rate being less than 10%. But despite the lack of resources, and as we are told time and time again by refugees, the awful food, everyone I have encountered has a wonderful attitude and only adds to the beauty and diversity of this city. 

By Miriam R. Guevara Well, where to start? We have done several things, but on this occasion I would like to talk about the visit to the concentration camp, I was in the place where everything happened ... for people who know me know the importance of this for me. After a visual tour guided by Frank, we went to one of the central concentration camps during Nazi Germany: Dachau. There are no words that describe what I felt, there are simply no words that describe the experience of being inside a chamber where thousands of people died, where thousands of bodies were cremated and where they were killed, there are really no words for that , I can only say that as a student I have learned a lot on this trip.

By, Kendrick Sanchez July 2, 2018         As I now reflect on this past first week in Munich Germany, I am filled with awe by the beauty in architecture, the friendlyness of the German people, and the audio senses stirred by European sounds of foreign language to mine, while first-responders fly through the streets along with the subway system.  While the city alone has already captured a great deal of my attention and intrigue to maybe someday live out here for a while, I am torn by the reality that there is a very real geopolitical crisis in Munich concerning refugees and their integration.         After visiting three refugee camps this week (all to which compare in many different facets), it has become increasingly apparent that these human beings have faced incredible adversity, each living with an arduous journey to tell.  Resources are limited and the process for a complete intigration case is overwhelmingly long and diffi...

Today, we visited the Panahe family. The experience was ironic in that we sipped on milkshakes and ate ice cream on a quaint, beautiful day by the lakeside, while we listened to a harrowing story of trial and hardship. The story was juxtaposed by the environment. What strikes me the most about everything is that the afternoon was so normal, the family seemed like any other family at first. Consequently, the lesson I took away from this experience is that you really cannot know a person--you cannot know their story--until you talk to them. We cannot simply judge someone based on appearances.

Somos la luz de este mundo, hombres y mujeres de fronteras. Today, we have sent a signal to all the people that fled to another land, that today they are missing the smell of their home and the smile of their grandmothers. They are watching their country bleed, and staying quiet about the brutality and the bestiality of other humans. Remember, that you are not alone, you my friend, bravely left your home, and I know you are thirsty of peace, remember that the captains are made in storms. You never be alone.

After almost a whole week in Germany there are so many striking and different things that come to mind to discuss. From Day 1 every day has been something new and exciting (and sometimes not exciting).  When we arrived I was honestly just happy to stop traveling for a minute. After being stranded in Atlanta for 24 hours due to bad weather, I was relieved to get to a Biergarten and see everyone (and sleep off the 10 hour flight!) Then not even several hours later it was time to get to work! Day two would be a very productive one. After arriving at the offices for IN VIA Munich, we were shown around the office and told a little bit about the inner workings of the nonprofit. We then went to a container village run by Bernadette and were shown around there. The container village was surprisingly different to me. Bernadette introduced us to several young Pakistani men who were living there and they could not have been nicer! They told us a bit about their lives and their long t...

June 26th, 2018. Day 1 in Munich, Germany. Today we met with the tour guide, spent about an hour at the station talking about the importance of Munich in the immigration crisis, track 11 and the bunker under the station. We learned so much about it. We then took a tram to head to a very diverse neighborhood where we visited a market in which if you go before they close and buy a lot of stuff you can actually bargain there, we then walked some more. The tour was about two hours long, at this point I was exhausted and hungry. The guide recommended a Turkish restaurant that was located right in front of where we were so Bayou and I headed there. We ordered "donnot" which is very popular. I was not disappointed, it was very flavorful and the price was excellent, we also tried the baklava and it was heaven! We then headed back to our hotel, and I just went straight to sleep because I was exhausted. I do have to note that it would have been better to schedule the first d...