Across Germany, there are nearly 500 young refugees accommodated in Salesian institutions, with 100 of them in Munich and Nuremberg. Most of the refugees accessing Salesian programs are youth between 16 and 18 years old who come from African countries or from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

Salesian missionaries and their network of programs across Europe are part of a network of organizations headquartered in Portugal that helps European countries with the refugee crisis. Salesian programs provide humanitarian and educational assistance to refugees by helping them become fully-integrated and independent within their new countries and homes.

One young man who accessed Don Bosco Youth Help Center in Sannerz, Germany was 15-year-old Abdullah. He has been kidnapped by a Pakistani Taliban terrorist organization who aimed to train him as a suicide bomber. Only three days after being kidnapped, Abdullah bravely managed to escape from an open window. He immediately headed for Europe, covering a distance of 5,000 kilometers to his freedom. He recalls that he traveled for 45 days by car, by train and then on foot.

After arriving in Frankfurt’s refugee center, Abdullah was sent to the Don Bosco Youth Help Center house in Sannerz. Before he arrived at the Don Bosco center, the local director of the refugee center had made contact with the Riedberg Sports Club, an association in Frankfurt where, in addition to football, basketball and rugby, cricket is also offered and played. Cricket is Abdullah’s favorite sport.

Now, several times a week Abdullah travels by train to the capital to practice or to play with the Riedberg Cricket team. He’s been able to maintain a bit of his home life in his new community. He proudly shows a cup given to him by two cricket stars who came from Afghanistan for the award. On the trophy the inscription reads, “Best Pitcher.”

At the Don Bosco Center, Abdullah also shows his skills at the sports field. At bat, he strikes the hard leather ball and his eyes shine with confidence. Since arriving in Germany, Abdullah has graduated from junior high school and also attended several German language courses. He is now attending the second year of a vocational training course in carpentry.

“At the moment, as part of our integration project, nine young people from Sannerz are attending courses for carpenters, painters and metallurgical workers. Donors have helped provide the funding for the project,” says Father Clemens Schliermann, the director and head of the project.

Abdullah has been able to keep in regular contact with his family by phone. His family also had to leave Afghanistan for their safety. While he is able to connect with his mother, sisters and four of his five brothers, the family has no idea where the father and one of his brothers are. Abdullah believes that they too may have been kidnapped by the Taliban.

“Salesian missionaries are working across Europe helping to provide needed services for the new wave of refugees arriving in these countries,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are assisting close to 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons whose lives have been affected by war, persecution, famine and natural disasters such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Salesian programs provide refugees much needed education and technical skills training, workforce development, health care and nutrition.”

###

Sources:

INFOANS – Germany – Refugee in Germany after escaping the Taliban

Photo courtesy INFOANS

The post GERMANY: Young refugee succeeds in new community thanks to Don Bosco Youth Help Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“It is very important for us to promote contact and exchange between young refugees and young people in Germany. It is important that they can learn from each other,” said Stefan Bauer, of the Salesian program in Munich in Bavaria, and Stefan Müller, of the Salesian Youth Center in Nuremberg, in a joint statement. “The first thing that is required is that young people have a means of transportation and it was decided to provide them with bicycles and economic support for the use of public transport.”

Throughout Germany, Salesian missionaries operate several projects and facilities for young refugees who have sought asylum and arrived in the country without their family. The goal is to help these youth with their daily lives and assist with finding them a home and employment, and integrating them into their new communities. Across Germany, there are nearly 500 young refugees accommodated in Salesian institutions, with 100 of them in Munich and Nuremberg. Most of the refugees accessing Salesian programs are youth between 16 and 18 years old who come from African countries or from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

Salesian missionaries and their network of programs across Europe are part of a network of organizations headquartered in Portugal that helps assist European countries with the refugee crisis. Salesian programs provide humanitarian and educational assistance to refugees by helping them become fully-integrated and independent within their new countries and homes.

Europe has been experiencing a refugee crisis of historic proportions, according to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. In 2015, more than 1 million refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea to come to Europe. At the end of 2015, 60 million people worldwide, the highest level on record, were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict and human rights violations, and of those documented, 19.5 million were refugees.

In 2014, European Union countries hosted a relatively small share of refugees. At the end of 2014, the world’s top refugee host was Turkey followed by Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia and Jordan. Lebanon hosted by far the largest number of refugees by population. By the first six months of 2015, 137,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea under profoundly difficult and unsafe conditions as compared to the 75,000 that arrived during the same time period the previous year. The numbers have continued to rise throughout 2016 because of the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq as well as conflict and instability in countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and elsewhere.

“Salesian missionaries are working across Europe helping to provide needed services for the new wave of refugees arriving in these countries,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are assisting close to 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons whose lives have been affected by war, persecution, famine and natural disasters such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Salesian programs provide refugees much needed education and technical skills training, workforce development, healthcare and nutrition.”

###

Sources:

ANS – Germany – Refugees in Munich and Nuremberg are helped by the BNP Paribas Foundation and the Salesians

UNCHR – 2015 European Regional Summary

The post GERMANY: Salesian Programs Assist Young Refugees with Education and Integration first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2014, European Union countries hosted a relatively small share of refugees. At the end of 2014, the world’s top refugee host was Turkey followed by Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia and Jordan. Lebanon hosted by far the largest number of refugees by population. By the first six months of 2015, 137,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea under profoundly difficult and unsafe conditions as compared to the 75,000 that arrived during the same time period last year. The numbers are expected to continue to rise throughout the rest of 2015.

Syrian refugees make up the single largest group followed by refugees from Eritrea and Afghanistan. High numbers of refugees from Somalia, Iraq and Sudan who are in need of international protection are also arriving in Europe. According to UNHCR, the majority of those arriving in Europe in the first six months of 2015 were men searching for a safe place to live and work before attempting to reunite later with their families. However, this total also included large numbers of women and children, including thousands of unaccompanied and separated children.

Often the lack of legal routes to safety leaves no choice for many men, women and children other than to turn to smugglers at enormous cost and danger to their lives. Before arriving in Europe, many have suffered high levels of abuse, exploitation and human rights violations.

In countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are assisting close to 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons whose lives have been affected by war, persecution, famine and natural disasters such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Salesian programs provide refugees much needed education and technical skills training, workforce development, healthcare and nutrition.

Salesian missionaries are working across Europe helping to provide needed services for the new wave of refugees arriving in these countries.

ITALY

In Sicily, Salesian missionaries have revamped a reception center for children who come to Italy looking for a better life. The reception center provides the first emergency point of contact for unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors. By creating two new sections within the existing center, missionaries have been able to add an extra bedroom and bathroom as well as a new bathroom for staff. The center also includes a living room and balcony that serves as a communal area to encourage sharing and relaxation.

All the fittings and interior doors of the premises have been replaced and new furniture has been acquired including a television set, DVD player, computer, cookware and plates. Currently, the house can accommodate up to 12 youth. The center offers an immediate welcome and safe space and is prepared to offer accommodation for as long as necessary until youth find a suitable, more permanent solution. The new structure also offers educational initiatives including language skills training and legal assistance to help youth begin a new life in Italy.

In addition to the center in Sicily, the Salesians of the Special Circumscription of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta are active in welcoming refugees to their new reception center at the Don Bosco Institute in Alessandria, a city in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. And in Turin, Italy, Salesian missionaries are working with the local government to actively plan a new center for refugees while assessing what assistance might be needed to help unaccompanied youth long-term.

GERMANY

The German Province of the Salesians of Don Bosco has been strengthening its commitment to young refugees. To meet the large and growing need in Germany in recent weeks, Salesian missionaries have been continually increasing the number of houses where they give assistance to youth in need.

In addition to new houses, missionaries are now offering temporary housing. Today, 11 Salesian programs across Germany are caring for 448 refugee youth and more accommodations are being prepared to accept additional refugees as the need increases. Most of the refugees are young males between 16 and 18 years of age who have come to Germany from African countries, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The boys are provided shelter in Salesian houses that can accommodate up to 12 people with four social workers available 24 hours a day.

SPAIN

In Madrid, Salesian missionaries are developing programs across the country in preparation for additional refugees seeking services. Missionaries are working with local governments and other social programs to respond to the refugee crisis.

Salesian missionaries who have previous experience working with young refugees and their families are helping to start additional Salesian programs that will address the needs of today’s refugee youth. Many of the new programs focus on meeting the immediate needs of newly-arrived refugees and go on to address the need for education and employment. Missionaries are also working with local schools to help assimilate children from refugee families into classrooms.

Salesian Sisters with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are working with the local government and diocese in Madrid to determine the most appropriate course of action to respond to and assist refugees from Syria. Currently, the Salesian Sisters operate six socio-educational projects that offer services for children at risk of social exclusion (many of them immigrants) and a social work project that was created to provide education and workforce development services to help decrease youth unemployment and educational inequality for those in poverty, especially girls.

###

Sources:

ANS – Italy Reception Centre for unaccompanied minors

ANS – Germany Welcoming Refugees: Salesians of Don Bosco in Germany give increased aid

ANS – Spain Welcoming Refugees: the Salesians in Spain are ready

UNHCR – The sea route to Europe: The Mediterranean passage in the age of refugees

The post EUROPE: Salesian Missionaries Providing Shelter and Education to Refugees Arriving in Europe first appeared on MissionNewswire.