The desire to compose political guidelines for our work at CampusAsyl arose from the practical work we do. These guidelines orient the way we conduct ourselves as an organization and how we position ourselves publicly. However, we do not claim that these guidelines are complete and we acknowledge that we are still learning and adapting as an organization.

The following points are critical to protect refugees, to uphold their dignity upon acceptance, to guarantee a fair asylum process, and to secure the possibility of equitable participation in society:

Flight and Migration

Commitment to international solidarity in a globalizing world

People are often forced to leave their homes because of external force and emergency situations. These processes are exacerbated by various abuses worldwide, as well as large-scale crises such as climate change, the global arms trade, and unfair or discriminatory trade practices. Importantly, the West shares significant responsibility for this state of affairs. We believe the concept of ‘Fortress Europe’ stands for a politics of avoidance and suppression, and we reject it outright. We likewise reject the transference of responsibility to other states, as occurred, for example, with the EU-Turkey deal of 2016.

Secure Routes

We demand the possibility for people to safely apply for asylum in order to prevent further traumas, bodily injury, abuse, and death. We propose, for instance, the intake of large contingents from refugee camps, the possibility to tender a constitutionally secured application for asylum in a third state, and the provision of sufficient personnel in embassies and consulates.

The protection of life and human dignity

The protection of life and limb, as well as the maintenance of human dignity must be of the highest priority at all times. The death of refugees in the Sahara or in the Mediterranean can never be accepted, condoned, or excused.

Asylum Process

A pan-European Process

Comparable minimum standards in the asylum process and the integration of refugees is a necessary precondition in order to guarantee the just distribution system for refugees in Europe.

A Reception Procedure that Respects Human Dignity

– intake facilities (EAEs, Anker-Einrichtungen) must be of an adequate size and provide rapid redistribution to decentralized accommodations

– short stays in intake facilities

– rejection of the principle of benefits in kind (Sachleistungsprinzip)

– all persons of school age be allowed to attend regular school as soon as compulsory education begins

– measures to minimize physical stress and provide preventative care and therapy for trauma and psychological illness

– access to regular public health services

– comprehensive freedom of movement rather than obligatory residence in a restricted area

– no selective spatial or social isolation

– accommodations must take measures to protect highly vulnerable and at-risk populations (single women, children, people in the LGBTIQ community, etc.)

A fair and individualized asylum process

– equal access to legal resources and independent advising for the asylum process

– thorough, individualized asylum process (no fast-tracks) with appropriate duration for handling cases and reasonable appeals periods

– rescindment of the unequal quotas between the various federal states and local municipalities

– abolition of the concept of ‘safe countries of origin’

– no fixed acceptance/rejection quotas according to country of origin

Respect for human dignity during deportation proceedings.

Integration

Work and Education

– early access to qualified language programs, regardless of status

– specific support mechanisms to secure equitable participation in school and vocational training systems

– unrestricted access to the work and vocational training markets in order to enable financial independence and foster high self-esteem through employment

– the possibility of using employment or an apprenticeship as grounds for a transition to a full residency permit, in case an asylum application is rejected or left undecided (Keyword: Einwanderungsgesetz)

– increased recognition of foreign academic and professional qualifications

Residence

– decentralized accommodation in apartments and no long-term accommodation in communal housing

– no concentration of communal housing in specific parts of the city

– residents be allowed to move out of communal housing if they receive Duldung

Individuals and Society 

– uphold the value of the family as an essential support system, which entails the sanctioning and rapid execution of family reunification, including for Gedulteten

– consideration of individual backgrounds (age, gender, education, etc.) and, if necessary, special advancement within the integration process

– permission of active political participation (including the right to vote in local municipalities after a certain length of stay)

– establishment of state institutions to combat discrimination (such as the creation of anti-discrimination job positions) as well as the promotion of social tolerance