Main content
Information portal: links & addresses
The engagement of politicians, municipalities, societies, and associations, as well as many citizens, has been and remains hugely important for integration. Arriving and being at home in Bavaria – stages on a long process that every single person can help to shape actively on a daily basis. Do you want to help with integration? We support you with information, points of contact and successful projects.
An initial overview (orientation)
Volunteering is something for us all and benefits everyone. Therefore, it is important that as many people as possible participate. We provide you with an initial overview of relevant contacts, organisations and other points of contact.
-
The LBE (State Network for Civic Engagement) and the lagfa bayern e.V. (State Working Group for Voluntary Agencies/Centres and Coordination Centres for Civic Engagement in Bavaria) provide an overview of civic engagement in Bavaria.
- The voluntary agency “Tatendrang” advises and informs citizens who want to volunteer in Munich:
- The latest news, tips and information are provided to refugees and local people by the Deutsche Welle (DW) in six different languages:
- The “Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance” lists initiatives across Germany that work on a voluntary basis. Find some brief information and contact details here:
- This map of Germany lists the many hundreds of projects that are already contributing to integration:
- The Integreat mobile app provides newly arrived immigrants with information and offers from municipalities tailored to their needs for orientation and settling in locally. The information can be found in several languages. The app can also be used by locals as a digital integration platform.
- This link takes you to the portal for working and volunteer groups in Bavaria:
- The app "WIR in Deutschland" offers material for voluntary work in language support and help in conducting German courses:
- “Menschen stärken Menschen” (People empower people): there are lots of opportunities to contribute to the integration of refugees. Learn more about the subjects of tutelage, host families and guardianship:
Volunteering: what do I need to know?
You want to actively volunteer but still have lots of questions, e.g. about the subject of insurance cover and volunteering? Useful links dealing with important questions can be found here.
-
What happens if volunteers suffer physical injuries during their work? What about accident insurance? The subject of insurance is an important issue:
-
“Menschen stärken Menschen” (People empower people) – this flyer shows how integration can succeed: what can you do personally? What requirements are important for volunteer work?
- Volunteer work is worthwhile with the Bavarian Volunteer Card. The Bavarian Volunteer Card is associated with numerous benefits, e.g. in institutions of the Free State of Bavaria, but also in public and private institutions in all districts and independent cities that have introduced the Bavarian Volunteer Card:
- Here you will find information on what needs to be taken into account when it comes to any risks of infection, illnesses, preventative measures and insurance protection when working with asylum seekers, as well as other links:
- The guide “How can I help traumatised refugees” of the of the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists (BPtK) is primarily designed for full-time and voluntary aid workers who want to know how to identify traumatic disorders and how to deal with refugee children, young people and adults who have had terrible experiences.
- ArrivalAid accompanies asylum seekers through the asylum process: the initiative promotes education and training for those volunteers who prepare asylum seekers for their interview with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF):
- What should I take into account when helping refugees? What rights and obligations do volunteers have? How does the asylum process work? This guide for volunteers answers the most important questions:
- How are refugees at clubs insured? Do they require special permission to play? Are they permitted to travel to away matches? The brochure “Willkommen im Verein” (Welcome to the club), published by the Federal Government and the German Football Association (DFB), answers these and other questions:
Opportunities for you to get personally involved
Here you will find information and inspiration about what you can do personally. Do you want to give a German lesson, make donations in kind or can you offer refugees somewhere to live?
- Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) or Federal Volunteer Service (BFD) in refugee aid:
- General information on the Voluntary Social Year: Link to the website of the Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs
- General information on the Federal Volunteer Service: Link to the website
- Information on the FSJ or BFD in refugee aid: Link to the website of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (Workers' Samaritan Association)
- With the campaign "mitanand - youth work in the migration society", the Bavarian Youth Council (BJR) advocates for a solidary, fair and inclusive coexistence in the migration society. Youth councils, associations and clubs are encouraged to remove hurdles and access barriers for young people with migration and refugee biographies. At the same time, young activists are supported in organising themselves and representing their own interests.
- These charitable organisations demonstrate how you can help refugees by providing tips, examples and information on projects in your local area. You can find an initial overview of the charitable organisations here:
- “Willkommen in München” (welcome to Munich) bring together people who are already actively helping refugees and those people who want to volunteer. This ensures that volunteers can offer their time and donations in kind where they are needed:
- Do you have a room free? This portal puts refugees in touch with people offering rooms in shared apartments and other private housing units:
- The “Tür an Tür e. V.” (Door to Door) association promotes integration and mutual understanding through specific projects.
- Multi-generation houses promote integration with education and advisory services. People of all ages can volunteer to help in multi-generation houses. Click here to find houses in your local area:
- The principle behind this app is easy: create a search profile, find a suitable project and offer your support:
- Time, money or donations in kind – the portal for the City of Munich informs you about what help is needed where:
- This database allows you to search for projects in your town or those allocated under the heading of “Engagiert für Flüchtlinge” (Engaged for refugees):
- Whether it is financial aid, psychological support or a donation in kind – volunteers can offer to help by posting here:
- “Faszination Helfen” (Fascination by Volunteering) – the THW (Federal Agency for Technical Relief) is, for example, a perfect point of contact for those interested in technology who would like to work in a team and help other people.
General information about integration, migration and asylum
Are you looking for general information on the subjects of integration, migration and asylum? You can find links about these subjects here
- Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF):
- Federal Employment Agency (BA):
- Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, Sports and Integration (StMI):
- The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany:
- The Asylum Law:
- The Geneva Convention on Refugees. The convention on the rights of refugees from 28 July 1951:
- The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR):
- Law on the residency, employment and integration of foreigners in the Federal Republic of Germany:
- Here is a catalogue of articles from the Basic Law (Articles 1–19 plus Article 20) in German-Arabic and German-English as PDF downloads:
- Unaccompanied foreign minors (UMA) are a special target group amongst refugees. These children are taken into the care of the Youth Welfare Office when they arrive in Germany.
- A general overview of the support services as part of the welfare provided to children and young people can be found here:
- Parents in Bavaria receive support from ELTERNTALK (PARENT TALK). This service offers moderated discussions with other parents in a familiar atmosphere where users can exchange thoughts and ask questions about parental issues. ELTERNTALK serves to improve parental skills above all in the areas of media usage, consumption and health care. This service also specifically targets people with a migrant background and discussion groups are held in various languages (Arabic, Turkish and Russian). The project is continuously expanding and currently includes 48 regional authorities and self-governing cities in Bavaria.
- Multilingual information (including in Arabic and Farsi) about the services offered by child day care facilities and child day care providers in general, as well as the importance of early education on a child’s development, can be found here:
- A job exchange especially for refugees. For applicants and employees:
- Are you an employer and want to employ staff from abroad? You can learn whether a work permit is required or whether one can be issued here:
- Sport makes integration easier. Many associations accept refugees for this reason. You can find information and examples here:
- Information on the "Federal Program for Social Cohesion" (BGZ), which promotes projects that bring about lasting positive change in the way cities and communities work together.
Disclaimer
Our own content should be distinguished from links to websites operated by other providers. By providing these links, we merely provide you with access to the use of third-party content in accordance with Article 8 of the German Telemedia Act. When first linking to these websites, we checked whether any potential civil or criminal responsibility may arise from this third-party content. However, we cannot continuously check this third-party content for changes and thus we cannot assume any responsibility in this respect. In the case of illegal, incorrect or incomplete content and particularly for damages that arise from the use or non-use of this information, the provider of the website is solely liable.