Bavarian Refugee Council

The Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat (Bavarian Refugee Council) is a non-governmental human rights organization based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It was founded in 1986 by engaged individuals, initiatives and refugee solidarity organizations as an independent, cross-party and supra-regional umbrella association. Its registered legal form is a non-profit association (Förderverein Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat e.V.), and it has around 400 members. It is part of the nationwide network of refugee councils (Flüchtlingsräte) that exist in every German federal state and is a member of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Pro Asyl. The organization describes itself as an organization of refugee solidarity. It campaigns for the rights of refugees and migrants, insisting that human rights must take precedence over policies of deterrence and isolation. Its stated goal is a genuine and permanent right to remain for all refugees and migrants. It rejects deportations, the exclusion and isolation of refugees through camp accommodation, and advocates equal rights for all. Its work covers legal advice and representation, individual case assistance, public relations, and numerous volunteer projects. Through the legal aid fund of Pro Asyl, it supports 20 to 30 particularly significant asylum procedures each year, and it provides legal advice referrals for asylum seekers throughout Bavaria as well as training for refugee advice centers and volunteers. It operates a general advice service across Bavaria, mostly by telephone or email, with office hours several days a week and support in German, English, Spanish and Farsi. Its main office is in Munich's Westend district, and it also maintains a North Bavaria office in Nuremberg. Project work includes Café 104 for undocumented people, the Deutschland Lagerland initiative against shared accommodation, the Lia project for female refugees in Bavaria, the Bleib! in Bayern project for labor market integration, country-specific networks (such as Syria and Afghanistan), and VOR ORT for qualifying volunteers. The organization also engages in campaigns such as save-me and Not safe – Keine Abschiebungen nach Afghanistan, and it co-organizes the Rage against Abschiebung festival. It publishes the quarterly Hinterland magazine. Funding comes from donations, supporting memberships and grants; it is recognized as a non-profit association.

The Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat was founded in 1986 by committed individuals, initiatives and refugee solidarity organizations in Bavaria as an independent, cross-party and supra-regional umbrella association. It emerged in the context of the broader German refugee council movement, which established similar organizations in every federal state. Its legal form is a non-profit registered association (Förderverein Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat e.V.) with its seat in Munich, and it has around 400 members. It is a member of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Pro Asyl. From its beginnings, the organization combined practical support for refugees with political advocacy. It provides legal advice and representation, individual case assistance, and public relations work. Through the legal aid fund of Pro Asyl, it supports 20 to 30 particularly significant asylum procedures each year, and it offers legal advice referrals for asylum seekers throughout Bavaria as well as training for refugee advice centers and volunteers. Over the decades, the council has initiated and hosted numerous projects. Café 104 offers residence-law and psychosocial support to people without papers. Deutschland Lagerland campaigns for the abolition of shared accommodation. The Lia project is an information, networking and advice center for female refugees in Bavaria. Bleib! in Bayern supports refugees in integrating into the labor market by informing and qualifying refugees and relevant institutional and volunteer actors about access to education and the labor market. Country-specific networks support refugee organizations against deportations, for example to Syria and Afghanistan. VOR ORT promotes the qualification of volunteers in asylum work. The organization has also been active in campaigns. Together with other refugee solidarity organizations, it launched campaigns such as save-me, which calls for the regular admission of refugees from crisis regions in accordance with UNHCR. In individual cases, deportations to Iraq and Ethiopia were prevented and individual refugee camps were closed. The campaign Not safe – Keine Abschiebungen nach Afghanistan was launched in May 2016. The council co-organizes the Rage against Abschiebung festival, which has been held since 1996 and in 2014 took place in Nuremberg as well as Munich; the council maintains a North Bavaria office in Nuremberg. It publishes the quarterly Hinterland magazine, described as an exotic publication in the left-wing media landscape with an open approach to diverse topics. The board is elected annually at the members' meeting.

• 2016

  Campaign Not safe – Keine Abschiebungen nach Afghanistan launched in May.

• 2014

  Rage against Abschiebung festival took place in Nuremberg as well as Munich for the first time.

• 1996

  Rage against Abschiebung festival first held.

• 1986

  Founded as an independent, cross-party and supra-regional umbrella association in Bavaria.

Non-governmental human rights organization and refugee solidarity umbrella association advocating for a genuine and permanent right to remain for all refugees and migrants in Bavaria.

• Legal advice and representation

  Legal advice and representation for refugees, including support through the Pro Asyl legal aid fund for 20 to 30 significant procedures annually.

• Individual case assistance

  Direct support for refugees in existential emergencies and intervention with authorities, including petitions and legal representation.

• Café 104

  Project offering residence-law and psychosocial support to people without papers.

• Deutschland Lagerland

  Initiative for the abolition of shared accommodation for refugees.

• Lia

  Information, networking and advice center for female refugees in Bavaria.

• Bleib! in Bayern

  Project supporting refugees in integrating into the labor market by informing and qualifying refugees and relevant actors about access to education and the labor market.

• VOR ORT

  Project promoting the qualification of volunteers in asylum work and providing information and advice to helpers.

• Hinterland magazine

  Quarterly magazine described as an exotic publication in the left-wing media landscape with an open approach to diverse topics.

1. 1Start - Bayerischer Flüchtlingsratfluechtlingsrat-bayern.de
2. 2Über Uns - Bayerischer Flüchtlingsratfluechtlingsrat-bayern.de
3. 3Kontakt - Bayerischer Flüchtlingsratfluechtlingsrat-bayern.de
4. 4Spenden - Bayerischer Flüchtlingsratfluechtlingsrat-bayern.de
5. 5Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat - Wikidatawikidata.org