Diaconal Refugee office Heidelberg

The office is intended for people with refugee experience and asylum seekers, as well as their families in Heidelberg.

Who is the center aimed at?

•   People with refugee experience

•   Asylum seekers

•   Rejected asylum seekers with temporary residence permits

•   People with the right to remain (e.g., after asylum recognition, refugee recognition, subsidiary protection)

•   undocumented people

Our service is voluntary, confidential, and free of charge. We provide help in English and German. Volunteer language mediators can be called in for other languages.

Please contact us: At the Diakonische Werk Heidelberg we are either able to help ourselves or can refer you to the right contact person. 

With our various partners such as Asylarbeitskreis Heidelberg e.V., Caritasverband Heidelberg e.V., the City of Heidelberg, and numerous other initiatives, we help, accompany, and support people seeking help who have experienced displacement, regardless of whether they are living with us in Heidelberg on a temporary or permanent basis.

With our expertise and experience, we can provide you with information on various topics

Residence – for example, with legal questions about the asylum process, residence, naturalization, and citizenship

Language – which language and integration courses are offered in Heidelberg to improve your language skills 

Work – if you have questions about training or job hunting, recognition of professional qualifications, or unemployment

Finances – with questions about your financial situation and information about government and social support options

Family & children – if you have questions about pregnancy, childcare, kindergarten, school, or family in general

Housing – for example, if you live in Heidelberg but are looking for an apartment

Health & mobility – for questions about health or nursing care insurance, medical care, pregnancy, or your health in general

Free time & volunteering – with information on volunteer work, free time and social opportunities, projects, and offers

Social counseling – for personal concerns and referral to further support and assistance services, help in dealing with government agencies and authorities

Advice service for refugees at the Heidelberg refugee registration center (Patrick Henry Village) and the Schwetzingen initial reception center (Tompkins Barracks)

At the Heidelberg refugee registration center and the Schwetzingen initial reception center, we offer independent social and procedural advice for refugees. We are also responsible for coordinating volunteers and do street work in the vicinity of the facilities and in the city.

Together with  the Caritasverband Heidelberg/Rhein-Neckar e.V. and the German Red Cross Rhein-Neckar\Heidelberg e.V., we operate a local counseling center and coordinate numerous projects in which hundreds of volunteers are actively involved with us. At Patrick Henry Village, we focus on newly arrived refugees who are seeking protection and facing the challenge of complex asylum procedures. Right from the start, we want to ensure that particularly vulnerable people receive professional, independent advice and all possible support. 

Volunteering

You would like to volunteer, please contact us. There are many opportunities to contribute your skills and interests. 

The focus of volunteer work is on language, work, school, housing, social support and everyday assistance, structuring daily life, and providing support in initial reception facilities.

Our volunteer opportunities include:

Integration assistance volunteers– 1:1 assistance and support for refugees and immigrants in cooperation with our specialist counseling centers

LanguageMediatorNetworkHeidelberg – Volunteer work in the Language Mediators Network Heidelberg

Informiert. Engagiert– Information and training opportunities for volunteers involved in refugee aid

Café Talk – Meeting place for people with and without refugee experience