Young refugees in Göttingen: strong commitment to the environment!

Young refugees in Göttingen: strong commitment to the environment!

There was a lot of excitement at the Kiessee in Göttingen today when 15 young refugees and 7 carers organized a rubbish collection campaign, led by Christian Stoll, head of the Young Refugees specialist team. The group actively collected cigarette butts, bottle caps and scraps of plastic to make the area a little cleaner. It shows once again how committed the young people are and that they take responsibility not only for themselves, but also for their community.

A particularly courageous participant is 19-year-old Ali, who fled Afghanistan in 2022 to avoid living under the Taliban. In Germany he not only learned the German language, but also completed his technical college diploma and landed a job at Rewe. “I feel welcome here and hope to do an apprenticeship and start a family soon,” he says with a broad smile. His friend Farid, who was the same age, had similar experiences and the two met while helping refugees. They experience a lot together and support each other in their new home.

Community project with vision

Mautaullah, also an Afghan who has been living in Germany since 2011, acts as an interpreter in the team. He emphasizes that Göttingen deals well with discrimination, but criticizes the often negative media coverage of foreigners. “There are so many positive stories,” says Mautaullah, “too often they are simply not discussed.” Christian Stoll confirms that the young refugees are not only very motivated, but also want to work in areas where there are urgent personnel problems.

Linda Feger, a supervisor on the project, urgently warns against reducing aid for refugees. “These young people have plans for their future and need our support,” she emphasizes. The commitment they bring to the waste collection campaign is a step in the right direction to promote their integration.

A perspective for the future

The current situation of migrants in Germany also highlights the shortage of skilled workers, which could worsen in the coming years. According to [Deutschlandfunk](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/migration-arbeitsmarkt-fachkraefte Mangel-deutschland-100.html), there will be a shortage of up to 7 million workers and skilled workers by 2035. Therefore, migration is seen as a key strategy to close this gap. People without a German passport already contribute 13.2% of gross value added in Germany - a clear sign of how important these groups are for society.

To take this development into account, economists recommend investing in the training of migrants in order to make better use of the existing potential. The work done and the commitment of the young people in Göttingen can be seen as an example of the positive contributions that migrants can bring to society.

In another field of educational policy, Carolin Emcke's Archive of Flight impressively shows how important the voices of migrants are. It offers a platform to make their perspectives and stories visible. Such initiatives are valuable for raising social awareness of migration and flight and recognizing the diverse contributions of migrants to German society.

The commitment of the young refugees in Göttingen could not only have a positive influence on their own lives, but could also be seen as part of a larger social change that underlines the importance of integration and diversity. It remains to be hoped that such campaigns will continue to ensure greater awareness and acceptance in the future.