Church asylum – Basic information for people looking for protection
Church asylum protects human rights and advocates for the protection of refugees. We have compiled the most important information about church asylum here. The German Ecumenical Committee on Church Asylum (Ökum- BAG Asyl in der Kirche) does not arrange church asylum placements. Please respective contact person for your region.
What is church asylum?
Church asylum temporarily protects refugees from deportation. You may ask for church asylum if you are currently at risk of deportation.
Church asylum is an option in cases of particular hardship. This means that deportation would pose a threat to life and limb, inhuman treatment, or other particular individual hardship.
Church asylum is a humanitarian act, regardless of your religious beliefs. Church asylum does not oblige you to accept, practice, or participate in religious activities.
During church asylum, the authorities may review your case again.
What is church asylum not?
There is no legal right to church asylum. Each church community decides for itself whether and to whom it grants church asylum.
Church asylum does not give you a residence permit. Only the immigration authorities can issue this.
In the past, in rare individual cases, the police and immigration authorities have attempted to deport people despite church asylum. Church asylum is therefore not always a 100% guarantee of safety from deportation.
Before asking for church asylum:
Be sure to seek advice first to clarify your situation and your prospects. Refugee counseling centers are available, for example, from Diakonie and Caritas.
Church asylum procedures vary slightly from one federal state to another. You can obtain additional information from the contact persons and networks in your federal state.
You can find the current contacts here: https://kirchenasyl.de/adressen-links-laendernetzwerke/
Please reach out to the contact person in your region!
What happens during church asylum?
If you are granted church asylum, the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) will be informed and receive a description of your case.
The church community will provide you with a place to live for the duration of your church asylum. As a rule, you must remain on the church grounds.
Other people will therefore have to help you with shopping or important appointments. These can be people from the community or friends and family.
End of church asylum
What happens after church asylum depends on your individual case. It may be that Germany is now responsible for conducting your asylum procedure. It may be that you have been granted the right to remain. But it may also be that the risk of deportation remains.
Invitation to the monthly online meeting for people in church asylum
A warm invitation to everyone who is currently in church asylum or has been in church asylum!
Our monthly online meeting is a safe space for exchange, mutual support, and solidarity. We talk about life before, during, and after church asylum, share experiences, and give each other strength.
🗓 Every last Sunday of the month
🕕6:00 p.m.
💻 via Zoom
Come along – to join in the discussion or just listen. Feel free to bring others who are also living or have lived in church asylum.
The meeting will be held in Arabic, Dari/Farsi, German, and English.
Get the latest information about the meeting via our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC4my0HVvTbQehUqA35
We look forward to seeing you!