Walking along the street one day, a man approached me, asking in German for directions to the train station. I pointed in the right direction and opened my mouth, before realizing I had no idea how to say anything helpful. I asked in German if he spoke English, and he said, “No…I from Syria…speak Deutsch?”
I was curious, and proceeded to ask him in very broken German why he was here in Berlin. He replied “war.” My creeping suspicion that he was here to flee from persecution was right. I was struck by this man, as he was the closest encounter I had ever had with this far-off war that I only hear about on TV.
I never saw the man again, but I did stumble upon a Refugee Movement Exhibit at a museum in Kreuzberg. It detailed the plight of thousands of refugees who had come to Germany, even marched to Berlin specifically to protest the terrible conditions of refugee camps and their lack of freedom of movement, freedom to seek work and education, etc. Kreuzberg itself, an area of Berlin that we IPD kids constantly hung out at, saw 200 refugees camp out in Oranienplatz park in the center of the city. They camped out there for a year, refusing to leave even when police threatened them. The owner of a Turkish fast food street stand next to the now barren park told me how he used to give the refugees coffee and water during the winter, and how many Kreuzberg residents came together to bring the refugees blankets, clothes, even volunteer as lookouts for xenophobic neo-Nazis. These people and the refugees have formed a strong movement to advocate for the end of deportations, the end of refugee camps, and more rights for refugees. They also want Germany to take in more refugees, not only because they need safe haven, but also because they see Western Europe’s history of colonialism as responsible for the turmoil found in most of the countries that refugees are fleeing from.
The police evicted them last year. I can only hope they have found peace and stability now. Those involved in the Refugee Movement still hold frequent meetings in Kreuzberg, trying to come up with solutions as the number of refugees increases and the entire world’s attention has awoken to the crisis. On Facebook, I see people in Berlin housing refugees, having dinner and going on bike rides with them. I myself have met a few refugees just walking around the streets of Berlin.
When 80 refugees were living in Oranienplatz, a park in the center of Kreuzberg.
Coming to Berlin, I expected to eat different foods, hear different music, learn a different language maybe. What came completely unexpected was the exposure to the refugee crisis. It is an issue that has completely grasped the attention of all of Europe. Taking a course on refugee law at Humboldt University did not prepare me at all for these encounters. The human rights violations that refugees experience in all parts of Europe, including Germany, are unacceptable. Worst of all, there are few clear solutions to their plight. Yet, it is good to see Germany taking in the most refugees out of any European country. It’s even more touching to see numerous different Berliners reach out a helping hand- offering their food, bikes, shelter and more to those that need it. And the Berliners who come together with the refugees and start a movement to create lasting change- that is the best part of all.
