A letter from Aziz Sadaghiani serving in Germany
May 1015 - Ministering to Refugees
In the last weeks and months there have been reports in the media about a large number of refugees and asylum seekers risking their lives to escape the violence, war and horrific situations in many regions in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Often these refugees and asylum seekers travel in overcrowded and dilapidated boats crossing the Mediterranean Ocean to reach Europe. Leaving behind their loved ones, they risk their lives in the hope for a better life for themselves and their families.
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Old industrial buildings converted to accommodate refugee housing
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Four refugees share these two rooms in a refugee housing unit
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The kitchen space shared by 40 refugees in a refugee housing unit
The latest data suggests that Germany received twice the number of asylum applications in 2014 of any other country in Europe. In 2014 Germany had 202,815 people applying for asylum, which is 60 percent higher than the previous year (Die Zeit, 14 January 2015). This led to many schools, hotels and other buildings being converted so that refugees could be accommodated in Germany.
Many of the refugees from Iranian and Afghan backgrounds come to the Iranian Presbyterian Church seeking help from our social counseling. We offer the following services: support with refugee/asylum applications, attending and translation during public authority appointments, parent-teacher conferences, mediation, doctors and therapeutic appointments, and search for accommodations. Additionally, we provide advice on new immigration legislation, application for social benefits, and search for schools for their children as well as rehabilitation/counseling for individuals who have experienced trauma or were persecuted in their country before arriving in Germany. Counseling is also provided for individuals separated from their families or facing other challenges such as family conflicts, divorce, etc.
My work does not end when refugees have their asylum applications approved. In some cases asylum applications may not be approved for years, and when an application is approved the refugee still needs support and guidance due to lack of language skills, cultural differences, and being in a new country. I have also handled many cases when the refugee or asylum seeker contacts us after being in Germany for 14 years and living on a “Duldung“ (exceptional leave to remain), which means that their stay in Germany is restricted to three months or six months, which may be extended at the discretion of the authorities. The stress of living with the uncertainty of not knowing whether you will be deported from Germany or not can only be imagined and in most cases is traumatic for the refugees/asylum seekers. While the refugees/asylum seekers are waiting and praying for a positive outcome of their asylum application, they are not allowed to work or receive social benefits.
The social counseling provided by the Iranian Presbyterian Church is well known not only in Berlin but also throughout Germany, Greece and Turkey.
My work is diversified, and I have met very interesting people from different backgrounds and life experiences, which has shaped the way I reach out and touch the lives of individuals I support. If I were living in a different century I would still choose the same profession.
As with every profession, I have some good days and some not-so-good days. On the good days, when everything seems to work out well, I am able to help and support the Iranian and Afghan refugees/asylum seekers on their journey to settle in Germany, get their asylum application approved, get professional help, and I translate during sessions organized to help them deal with the trauma they have experienced. When I see the joy on their faces when their asylum application is approved it does not matter how many hours I have worked—I feel as sense of fulfillment.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to you all because without your continuing encouragement, prayers and financial support I would not be able to reach out and touch the lives of so many, as our Lord Jesus Christ did.
Aziz Sadaghiani
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 328
Read more about Azizollah Sadaghiani's ministry
Write to Azizollah Sadaghiani
Individuals: Give online to E200399 for Azizollah Sadaghiani's sending and support
Congregations: Give to D507089 for Azizollah Sadaghiani's sending and support
Churches are asked to send donations through your congregation’s normal receiving site (this is usually your presbytery).
