Refugio München

Refugio München is a counselling and treatment centre for people with refugee experience, based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It provides psychosocial, therapeutic and educational services tailored to the specific needs of refugees, working with interpreters where necessary. The centre is run by the non-profit association IfF-Refugio München e.V. and supported by the fundraising association Refugio München e.V. It is one of the largest psychosocial treatment centres for refugees and torture victims in Germany. The organisation was founded in 1994, following a decision by the Munich city council in 1993 to establish a psychosocial centre for refugees. It opened in May 1994 in the Rauchstraße with six staff members. Over the decades it has grown substantially: by 2019 it had 47 permanent employees, and by 2022 it had 75. Today it employs around 100 permanent staff, mainly social pedagogues, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and administrative personnel, plus about 125 freelance honorary workers in therapy, art therapy, parent training, interpreting and supervision. Refugio München serves approximately 3,000 refugee children, adolescents and adults each year, from over 40 nations, including about 1,250 minors. Its core activities include psychotherapy, social counselling, medical and psychological diagnostics, assessment and support in asylum procedures, crisis intervention, and educational and art-pedagogical programmes. The Refugio Kunstwerkstatt (art workshop) has worked since 1993 with refugee children and adolescents, currently reaching around 1,000 children in accommodation centres and its own premises. Other projects include native-language parent seminars in over 30 languages, the Welcome volunteer programme, migration counselling for adults, the SoulCaRe early-detection project in the Munich initial reception centre, and the Mental Health Center Ukraine established in 2022. The centre operates from its main location in Munich (Rosenheimer Straße 38 in Haidhausen) and has branch offices in Landshut and Augsburg. It is a member of the Federal Association of Psychosocial Centres for Refugees and Torture Victims (BafF), the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, and the Federal Association for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees (BumF). It is also a recognised provider of free youth welfare services under § 75 of the German Child and Youth Welfare Act. Refugio München celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024.

The origins of Refugio München lie in the early 1990s, when staff of the Initiative für Flüchtlinge e.V. (Initiative for Refugees) advocated for the creation of a psychosocial centre for refugees in Munich. After rejecting two previous applications, the Munich city council decided in 1993 to establish such a centre, and the city's social department commissioned the Initiative für Flüchtlinge e.V. with its founding and sponsorship. In May 1994, the counselling and treatment centre opened on Rauchstraße with six employees. In 1998, the supporting association was renamed IfF-Refugio München e.V. The centre moved to Mariahilfplatz in the Au district in 2001, and again in 2012 to Rosenheimer Straße 38 in Haidhausen. Both moves were accompanied by an expansion of activities. In 2015, the Refugio Kunstwerkstatt expanded its services, particularly for unaccompanied minor refugees, and moved into new premises at Stift St. Josef am Luise-Kiesselbach-Platz. A small research department was founded in 2016 to develop scientifically tested and adapted therapeutic concepts. In 2017, the training and research academy Refugio München transfer was established, while cooperation in Rosenheim was discontinued due to expired project funding. In 2018, Refugio München built its own psychosocial centre in Landshut. By 2019, the organisation celebrated its 25th anniversary with 47 permanent staff and had become one of the largest psychosocial treatment centres for refugees and torture victims in Germany. In 2021, the SoulCaRe project for the early detection of traumatised and/or mentally ill refugees started with nine staff members in the Munich initial reception centre, and the Refugio Kunstwerkstatt moved into the Kunstlabor2, an interim-use project in the former health building at Stiglmaierplatz. In 2022, in response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Refugio München founded the Mental Health Center Ukraine with eight staff members, offering acute care and psychosocial stabilisation for refugees from Ukraine. By then the organisation had 75 permanent employees. In 2024, Refugio München celebrated its 30th anniversary and expanded its Augsburg branch into a full psychosocial centre. Throughout its history, Refugio München has remained a non-profit organisation. It is supported by the fundraising association Refugio München e.V. and, for long-term financing, the Stiftung ChancenReich was established. The centre is a member of the Bundesweite Arbeitsgemeinschaft der psychosozialen Zentren für Flüchtlinge und Folteropfer (BafF), the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, and the Bundesfachverband unbegleitete minderjährige Flüchtlinge (BumF). It is also a recognised provider of free youth welfare services under § 75 of the German Child and Youth Welfare Act.

• 2024

  30th anniversary; Augsburg branch expanded into a psychosocial centre

• 2022

  Mental Health Center Ukraine founded with 8 staff members; organisation reaches 75 permanent employees

• 2021

  SoulCaRe project starts with 9 staff in Munich initial reception; Kunstwerkstatt moves to Kunstlabor2

• 2019

  25th anniversary; 47 permanent staff; one of Germany's largest psychosocial treatment centres for refugees and torture victims

• 2018

  Own psychosocial centre established in Landshut

• 2017

  Training and research academy Refugio München transfer founded; cooperation in Rosenheim discontinued

• 2016

  Small research department founded

• 2015

  Kunstwerkstatt expands services for unaccompanied minor refugees and moves to Stift St. Josef

• 2012

  Move to Rosenheimer Straße 38 in Haidhausen

• 2001

  Move to Mariahilfplatz in the Au district

• 1998

  Supporting association renamed to IfF-Refugio München e.V.

• 1994

  Counselling and treatment centre opens in Rauchstraße with six staff members

• 1993

  Munich city council decides to establish a psychosocial centre for refugees; Initiative für Flüchtlinge e.V. commissioned with founding and sponsorship

Specialised psychosocial centre for traumatised refugees and torture survivors, integrated into the Bavarian health care system, working sustainably and sensitively with regard to discrimination and diversity.

• Psychotherapy for traumatised refugees

• Social counselling and crisis intervention

• Medical and psychological diagnostics

• Assessment and support in asylum procedures

• Refugio Kunstwerkstatt (art workshop for children and youth)

• Native-language parent seminars

• Migration counselling for adults

• SoulCaRe early-detection project

• Mental Health Center Ukraine

• Welcome volunteer programme

• Training and research academy (Refugio München transfer)

1. 1Startseite - Refugio Münchenrefugio-muenchen.de
2. 2Unsere Geschichte - Refugio Münchenrefugio-muenchen.de
3. 3Über uns - Refugio Münchenrefugio-muenchen.de
4. 4Team & Struktur - Refugio Münchenrefugio-muenchen.de
5. 5Refugio München - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Refugio München - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org