"We cannot work a single day without a lot of volunteers," explained Olaf Zimmermann, director of the German Cultural Council on International Volunteer Day. The federal government stated that about 40 percent of Germans who are at least 10 years old are volunteers in their spare time. That is about 25 million people. They contribute to sports teams, political parties or social initiatives.

In the autumn of 2015 and in the following months hundreds of thousands of people sought safety in Germany. The willingness to help refugees was nearly as overwhelming. "In 2015, 2016 we had a waitlist of more than a hundred people," said Claus-Ulrich Prölß, the director of Cologne's Refugee Council. His agency has worked for the safety, rights and integration of refugees for more than 30 years.  

Decreasing help

The situation has changed two years after the peak of the refugee influx. "Many volunteers have bailed," said Prölß. " As of this year, we really have to search for people, we have to run ad campaigns." Frustration, feeling overwhelmed, as well as the changing mood surrounding refugees have contributed to the lack of volunteers.

Svenja Rickert of the Cologne volunteer agency has seen similar changes. The agency helps interested people find a place to volunteer. "We really have to look. And we hear from welcome initiatives as well that they are looking for support and they hope they can find more people again soon," said Rickert.

Volunteers are important for integration

But why is there a decreased demand of volunteers? "Perhaps it is a trend to engage in things in the short-term, instead of long-term," suspects Rickert. Yet it is still just as important to help refugees now, months after refugees arrived, to assist them. "Now it is time for them to find a place in the community," said Rickert. "I frequently hear that refugees who have been here for two years say that they have not had any contact with locals in Cologne except for work."

Refugee initiatives are looking for assistance – though the image of refugee volunteers has greatly changed in the past two years. While it sounded good to assist with refugees back then, the attitude has certainly changed. "As soon as the help turns political, it becomes more common to see negative things being said about refugees or to see negative comments from friends or acquaintances," said Rickert.

Increasing attacks on refugees and volunteers

Claus-Ulrich Prölß and Svenja Rickert see hateful emails, inflammatory or inhumane comments in their daily work. In some places, they have escalated to physical attacks. "In Neukölln we see cars burned, things thrown through people's windows and threats with people's names spray painted on the front door of where they live," said Simon Brost of the Mobile Counsel against Right-wing Extremism in Berlin.

The attackers hope to intimidate refugee volunteers, to put the volunteers in a climate of fear so that they no longer assist refugees. The attacks are committed by right-wing extremists. The Mobile Counsel tries to help victims of these attacks and encourages them to continue volunteering. "The reactions are as varied as those who are affected," said Brost. "It ranges from anger and fear to a greater resolve to continue volunteering."

On average there is an attack on a refugee home nearly every day in Germany. Over the course of the year there were more than 1,000 asylum seekers who were injured outside of their accommodations, according to the interior ministry. There is no official count of refugee volunteers who have been injured. But with the attacks on asylum seekers and their shelters, volunteers are now targeted as well. Volunteers to help refugees integrate into German society are still needed. 

First published: December 5, 2017

Author: Rahel Klein

Translation: Kai Dambach

Source: dw.com