We are people from different cities in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. We have varying degrees of experience in working with refugees. We share one experience: protection seekers are often looking for a space that actually promises protection. Whether the accommodation in the camp or the threat of deportation – security and stability are often not to be found.

That is why we decided to organize Soli-Asylum, also called Citizen-Asylum. Here, too, we have had different experiences and tried out different models.

We came together out of three concerns.

• First, we exchange ideas beyond the borders of our cities – what experiences have we had, how do we cover the costs, how have we dealt with personally and emotionally challenging situations, what can we make possible and what not, and much more.
• Second, we want to create a platform through which protest can be voiced. Many people already offer soli-rooms, some for years. And: many people have made use of Soli-Asylum. All of them would have a lot to tell, have a concrete position on asylum policy and deportation practice, but often do not dare to go public. This is possible through this platform. Answers can almost always be found to the question of how to speak and protest anonymously in public, for example!
• Thirdly, with this website we want to call on you to organize rooms yourself! On this website you will find information on how to do it and which models of financing and organization are possible or have already been tested. We ourselves do not offer rooms directly, the demand exceeds the supply.

But: if you can offer a room – possibly even without much organizational or financial effort – but you are wondering how to get to know people who need Soli-Asylum in the first place, then we can mediate. It is best to write to us in encrypted form. You can find the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Why is Soli-Asylum necessary or… from when on?

We don’t want to say much about the necessity except: the circle of people who can be deported has been continuously expanded in recent years. Tightening of the law and decreasing recognition rates at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees have led to this. We reject such policies and practices.

The question of when it is necessary is actually more complex. Basically, the idea of Soli-Asylum or Citizen-Asylum is to be able to protect people from deportations. However, much more the principle applies: RIGHT OF RESIDENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOLI-ASYLUM. Soli-Asylum is outside the system of authorities and procedures. No citizen can offer a residence or employment permit, usually not even a rental contract that refugees can sign themselves. The goal is to legalize people, for this a way must be found to bring them into the system. The Soli-Asylum is therefore only to be understood as a transitional solution and must always be accompanied with a view to the individual legal case. There are counseling centers for this. We are in contact with them and can also assist with counseling ourselves.

People who are threatened by deportation are “compulsorily deportable”. However, not every person who is compulsorily obliged to leave the country necessarily needs a Soli room.

By way of distinction, here are some example constellations in which Soli-Asylum is not required:

• Often people who are threatened with deportation find shelter with families, friends, etc. and can fall back on their own resources.
• A deportation can be stopped by an administrative court, for example. In this case, an urgent application may have been successful. Or the person is subject to an enforceable obligation to leave the country, but is tolerated on a discretionary basis.
• In the face of the threat of deportation, possibly after months in the camp, people do not always want to stay here, but simply want to leave. Authorities and ministries call it “secondary migration” when people leave for another country in Europe to try their luck. This may not always make sense from a legal point of view. However, simply taking the right to leave is a decision that people make on their own authority. It is to be accepted, support can be offered.
• It’s not possible to deport to every country. For example, there are no connections to Libya. In these cases, it’s helpful to invest time, energy and resources in obtaining the right to stay. Because if there is a residence permit, the person is at least already on the way to his own apartment and thus to a self-determined life.

Where Soli-Asyl can be helpful:

In so-called “Dublin cases”, i.e. where a deportation to another European country of the EU is to be carried out. In this case, Germany has six months to carry out the deportation. If German authorities fail to do so, responsibility for the asylum procedure passes to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – the person is safe from deportation for the time being.
If the BAMF has rejected the asylum application and even administrative courts can no longer promise protection from deportation, then the risk of deportation increases. Here it is necessary to check whether a right to stay cannot be made possible.
If people are in a camp (reception facility of the state or shared accommodation of the municipality) and can no longer stand it there, for example because they are or have been affected by violence. We have already had such experiences. The persons were not threatened with deportation, but still needed privacy and counseling and communicated this.
Probably the most complex case constellation is that of what PRO ASYL calls “refugees in orbit”. These are people who have a residence permit in another state of the EU. ATTENTION: these are not so-called Dublin cases, because the asylum procedure has not been completed. In Dublin cases there is actually a chance to get into the German asylum procedure after six months. However, this is not the case with “refugees in orbit”, or rather it is not so simple. This means that the Federal Republic of Germany then says that this person has already received protection and is no longer responsible. If the asylum procedure in Germany is legally concluded, then this person is not even entitled to social benefits nowadays. It is difficult to obtain a right to stay. It can often take years before the path to legalization can be found here. We observe that the need for people who fall precisely into this case constellation has also increased.

What models of Soli-Asylum are there?

Each accommodation is individual and is adapted to the possibilities and needs of those involved. To give you ideas of what it could look like, we present some models here. There is also the possibility to participate organizationally or through donations, as writing further down.

Model 1 – The couch – 2, 3 [few] days

The couch is standing around in the apartment and one person can sleep on it. The conditions do not allow for a longer stay. But for two, three nights it is possible every now and then. You inform us about your capabilities – we asked you from time to time if you could host a person.

Model 2 – The guest room – weeks or months

In your family home or in your shared flat there is this room, what is called “guest room”. Or also as “study room” – with couch. It is often empty. For several weeks, possibly months, someone could sleep there. You can imagine that this person can live with you for a while in your family, your shared flat. Then let us know, we can mediate and discuss further needs on your part with you.

Model 3 – The shelter – theoretical: years

You are a group of people with a lot of time and organizational capacities. You want to rent an apartment, have the brilliant idea how to finance rent, deposit, internet and GEZ and want to get started – then do it. Feel free to write us if you want to share your experiences with us.

Model 4 – The House Project/ The Car Place – Weeks to Years

In your house project or on the trailer park, there are basically many rooms, there is always something going on anyway, and you define privacy differently than the rest of society, and you also have a political claim. So why not make rooms available? Also in our group there are people who have made experiences here, have accompanied decision-making processes and have successfully carried out Soli-Asylum in their structures.

Links to other websites/info sources

• No Border Assembly – “A Guide for People Providing Rooms”
• Website of Aktion Bürger*innenasyl – Germany-wide overview and info

First of all: We do not know of any case in which people have been convicted for providing Soli-Asylum – let alone sentenced to higher penalties. In any case, it makes sense to handle the issue carefully and to take measures to reduce the risk of getting caught – especially because people seeking protection are exposed to a high level of persecution and punishment, up to and including deportation. Nevertheless, there is a theoretical risk for supporters to be legally prosecuted. To this end, we have taken the following paragraph from the “Guide for People Providing Rooms”:

“If you take in a person who is in possession of a ‘Duldung’ or another valid identity document, this is a legally unobjectionable hospitality. If the person is illegalized – i.e. without papers and residence permit – judges would have to prove in a court case that you knew the person was illegalized at the time. According to the German Residence Act (§96 AufenthG), a person offering protection who shows solidarity with a person threatened with deportation can be guilty of “aiding and abetting unauthorized residence”. While the statutory maximum penalty is one year imprisonment or an equivalent fine, it can be assumed that in most cases the penalty will be less, provided there are no previous convictions. It makes sense to be aware of the risks of criminal prosecution. But remember: the risk carried by you is likely to be less than that by the person being deported.”

There are many ways to support Soli-Asylum and we welcome any kind of support! If you don’t see yourself in the possibilities outlined here, please write to us anyway if you want to get involved in any way!

1. donate money

Providing housing is cost-intensive. By donating money you can help us to offer more rooms. If you can imagine donating either one-time and permanently, feel free to email us and we will find a way.

2. offer temporary accommodation

Maybe there is a room available in your shared flat for a while? Maybe you’d like to provide a place to sleep on your sofa for a few days? Such possibilities are valuable, for example, to counter collective deportations. If you can imagine something like this, please contact us. Then we can clarify open questions with you and describe in more detail how it would work. After that you can decide if you want to give it a try.

3. provide permanent accommodation

Of course, we also try to provide permanent housing. If people can’t live in collective housing or suffer from discrimination there, permanent housing is necessary. We are looking for apartments or rooms where people can live for a few months. Since this kind of support has many requirements (legal, emotional work, finances and much more), we offer a kind of workshop and guidance to make you feel comfortable. Contact us and we will find a date!

4. co-organize

Our group takes care of preparing information, networking activists and organizing support. If you want to support us, you can write us. We would then meet with you and see if everything fits to work together.

You can reach us at schaukelpferd (at) riseup (dot) net.

Please encrypt your email. You can find our PGP key at the bottom of this page.

–> I don’t have an encrypted communication and don’t know how to set one up. Nevertheless I would like to contact you. What to do?

For an email encryption you need a program on your computer, well suited is Thunderbird. Here you can find an easy to understand tutorial on how to set up email encryption. If that doesn’t work for you, just send us a normal email without sharing too much information about yourself. We will meet you in person. Then we can not only talk to each other, but also show you – if desired – how it works with email encryption.

Public PGP Key

schaukelpferd (at) riseup (dot) net.

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