Migrants
More and more parishes and ecclesial institutions of Germany are taking action to protect refugees from forced repatriation. 2016 saw a rise in the number of church shelters compared with earlier years. The figures of last year are not official yet, but the number is expected to be even higher in 2017: the “Kirchenasyl”, a federal church workgroup that deals with asylum matters, found that in mid-January this year 323 shelters were already up and running for a total of 547 people, including 145 children. One year ago, supported by an initiative of the Catholic and Evangelical Churches, 277 shelters had been opened in church buildings, with 449 refugees; in January 2015, there had been 200 shelters, with 359 refugees. Places used for temporary shelter include churches, monasteries, convents and diocesan office buildings and, according to the general manager of Kirchenasyl, Genia Schenke Plisch, accurate figures cannot be provided yet: however, in 2015, “at least 1,015 people found shelter”. Church properties act as “sanctuaries” in the temporary protection of refugees from the risk of expulsion and to let them at least get a temporary permit to stay in Germany. Most of them are refugees and asylum seekers who came into the European Union according to the “Dublin” directive, so they should have left Germany.
