Civic Engagement for Refugees and Its Contribution to Local ‘Welcome-Culture’ In Germany

Reactions to refugees in Germany are very mixed. While the growth in violent attacks on refugees paints a dark picture, civic engagement for refugees at the same time is considerably increasing. This paper explores the role of civic engagement for refugees in local reactions to new refugee accommodations in Germany. In particular, it examines such engagement’s contribution to a local ‘welcome-culture’ in terms of the openness and tolerance with which residents respond to their new neighbours. Several German cities and municipalities are confronted with notable resistance when planning new accomodations – in some cases accompanied by prejudices and violent aggressions that are fuelled by right-wing groups. In other cases, however, new accomodations for refuguees are welcomed and broadly supported by the local community. The paper will show that civil society initiatives for and with refugees not only improve the quality of accommodation, but also have a considerable positive impact on residents’ reactions more generally.