"What can I do?" This question went through my mind when the first images of refugees flickered across the screen last year. Squalid accommodation in a completely foreign environment in the middle of Germany. I actually had no idea. That all changed when I received a circular from the Ministry of the Interior: they were looking for volunteers from the public sector to help register refugees.
I actually work in accounting at the university, taking care of inventory and asset management. Despite this - or perhaps because of it - I felt I was being approached. Everything happened very quickly after that. I got the go-ahead from my department on a Tuesday, and just one day later I travelled to my new place of work in Bad Fallingbostel. It was a temporary position for two months and 150 kilometres away from my home town of Westerstede. Despite the distance, it was clear to me from the outset that I would be travelling home every day. It was hard, but there was no alternative. It wasn't just my wife who always gave me her full support. It was also my colleagues from Division 2 who stood in for me and made my help possible in the first place.
When I arrived in Bad Fallingbostel, I found myself in a motley crew. Just two interpreters and 30 temporary staff with completely different backgrounds - from judges to clerks. Our task: to register the new arrivals after the health check. The challenge: hardly anyone had papers. Added to this were language barriers, a completely different script and the different levels of education of the people, most of whom came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Some were very well prepared and had already learnt about our country. Others, including illiterate people, seemed completely overwhelmed. Name, age, place of origin, already registered in the EU? Not everything was answered immediately. Sad and moving were the moments when the question about marital status could not be answered clearly because the partner was missing. But there were also many wonderful situations. The strongest feeling we were met with was gratitude.
I have been back at work since the end of January. Many memories still linger - and not just positive ones. It certainly helped. I am still committed to helping refugees today. But in a way that suits me better. My wife and I now help with visits to the authorities, for example. Who would have thought that could be fun!
Written down by: Volker Sandmann