They fled from Putin’s bombs to their partner church. But it is unclear whether the 120 people will be allowed to stay in Berlin permanently.
by Jörg Bergmann and Johannes Malinowski
The war refugees come from Kyiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipro, among others, and initially lived in the International Gospel Center church in Lichtenberg, later in a hostel on Storkower Strasse.
They had to leave on Monday morning. Reason: expiring contracts with the country. The State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) wanted to bring the Ukrainians to the Tegel arrival center for registration and redistribution to other countries.
“We made it clear from the start that people should stay with us,” says Dr. Moritz Mayer (32) from the parish. The partnership has existed for 15 years. “They have a strong social connection to us and the city,” says Mayer. “It wouldn’t be appropriate to move them to another city.”
Instead of taking the bus to Tegel, the Ukrainians took the tram to the Allee der Kosmonauten, where they were first housed in the church community.
CDU MP Danny Freymark (38) accuses the Senate of acting heartlessly. “Tegel means that nobody knows where it will be redistributed,” he says. “New refugees arrive every day. Why aren’t those who are already here allowed to stay?”
But LAF spokesman Sascha Langenbach says: “By registering in Tegel, people immediately receive a residence permit, health insurance and the opportunity to work.”
For many people, Berlin is attractive as a western metropolis. “But these dreams and hopes will not come true for every Ukrainian,” emphasizes Langenbach.
His authority has already received calls from companies in Würzburg and Regensburg (Bavaria): “They ask how many people we can send. People get jobs and housing there.”
Berlin cannot offer this perspective to everyone.