Manar Alatrsh wants to move. The 35-year-old Syrian mor lives in small town of Brandenburg Forest and is now well integrated. She goes to women’s meeting once a week and takes part in sewing – organized by Flüchlingshilfsgruppe Forster Bridge and refugee network. Also ALATRSHS six children feel comfortable in small town. But Syrian would rar live in a big city. “In big cities, many women wear headscarves,” she says, “that’s normal re. Only a few women wear headscarves here. That’s why I had a man spit in forest twice. “
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Alatrsh has friends and acquaintances in Dortmund and Hanover, so she wants to go re. In principle, it could also, because once refugees get refuge in Germany, y no longer have to live in community to which y were initially assigned. Until middle of 2016, y were free to choose ir place of residence within Germany, but since August last year re is so-called Residence Edition, which means that asylum-holders can only move away from respective federal state with good reason. Can.
One of ALATRSHS friends is a hairdresser in a big city, Alatrsh herself would like to work as a cook. She has experience in field. However, she could not do any training in Syria and went to school for only six years. “My bror beat me and forbade me to go to school,” she says. “Women have to stay at home and take care of budget.” Now in Germany she could work oretically. In a big city, she hopes, chances are better. But because she is currently taking social benefits with her husband and her six children, family must not decide where to live, it is right to asylum.
Diversity as normality
Many fled, it goes like Alatrsh, alone from Forst are 204 foreigners since 2016 moved to or cities. Many have relatives, friends or compatriots in big cities and hope to suffer less from homesickness in ir society. And y think y can find jobs re faster. The social welfare Office of District of spree-Neisse estimates exit rate among refugees to more than 30 percent.
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The Afghan Mohammad Barbiei was also drawn to Essen with his family two and a half years ago. In Afghanistan, he was an engineer, now working at a pizza service. Five years ago, he fled from Afghanistan to Germany because Taliban persecuted him. He spent first years in forestry. But once his asylum application had been granted, he wanted to leave.
For people from or countries, big cities have advantages, confirmed Barbiei. “My work is well remunerated here in Essen,” he says. He could also go to mosque and his children would get Koran lessons.
Closer relations with German
But he judged his decision to move as ambivalent. “In Essen I get less from German culture, I have much more contact with Afghan people.” Small towns also have advantages for refugees. For example, you can reach hospitals, doctors ‘ surgeries, shops and authorities easily and quickly. In smaller cities, re are often helpful pensioners or staff of churches engaged in refugees.
Doroa Röger, initiator of Forster Bridge, says that she has already heard of drawn-out, who would normally be homesick for forest. Because in small town re are people who really cared for fugitives. Röger also observes that people in big cities are still more among mselves, lacking contact with locals. “Especially women suffer from this,” says Röger, “y mostly do not work, but provide family. There are hardly any job offers that fit your needs. “
Integration is often easier in small cities. In fact, people who have lived in Germany for a long time and those who have been involved should strive for mutual understanding. The different cultures and languages are an enrichment for Germany. But if refugees, especially with ir compatriots, have contact in ir own language, y learn less about Germany and its culture – and ir motivation to learn German is lost.
When Afghan Barbiei still lived in forest, he tells, he had a lot to do with Germans and his German was good. His wife had such an intimate relationship with an older German that two were speaking as mor and daughter. Now, in Essen, says Barbiei, his German has unfortunately become worse again.
