Since 1998 the Association for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (Bundesfachverband unbegleitete minderjährige Flüchtlinge: BumF) advocates for the rights of displaced children, adolescents and young adults in Germany. As a non-profit and non-governmental association we are able to campaign independently for young refugees and the systems of support centred around them. Thus, we offer assistance not only to the young displaced but also to the legal guardians, social workers, voluntary activists and other involved actors. Our aim is to ensure that young refugees receive the same rights as all other young people. They must be able to grow up without fear of racism and other forms of discrimination and disadvantage and be given fair opportunities to help shape this society.
We understand social work as a human rights profession, and children’s rights in particular form the ethical and political frame of reference for our work. This page provides an introduction to our organisation in English, for further information please visit our german website.

Fields of activity
Help in individual cases: Strengthening the rights of young refugees

With our counseling services for professionals and volunteers and the legal aid fund, which we use to cover legal fees for young refugees, we work to find solutions in individual cases and help, for example, to ensure that children, young people and young adults receive protection, can continue their education, are accommodated and accompanied in a child-friendly manner and can build up prospects for the future.

Lobbying and advocacy work: a strong voice for the rights of young refugees

Together with young refugees and other partners, we raise our voices in politics and in public. Wherever the rights of young refugees are violated and future opportunities are blocked, we stand by their side, offer solutions and expose injustices. We influence legislative processes, develop recommendations, express demands and support young refugees in making their concerns heard.

Networking and qualification: sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, opening up spaces for reflection

Constant futher training and opportunities for exchange are essential when working with young refugees. We therefore organize specialist conferences and training courses and have created a network that brings together employees from refugee and youth work, politically interested and committed people, children’s rights organizations and local authorities.

Analysis and working aids: recommendations for daily practice

Apart from publishing documents with recommendations on how to deal with concrete and common problems that face young refugees and expert contributions, we offer a monthly newsletter to interested individuals and organizations. When we identify a problem and need for action, we document and address this publicly.

Participation, empowerment and criticism of racism: self-critically reflecting on your own actions and sensitizing professionals

Racist structures permeate society as a whole and are an integral part of the reality of life for young people who have experienced displacement in Germany.
As an association, we do not stand outside of these structures, but consider it our task to continuously reflect on our own entanglement in racist power structures, to support professionals in a practice that is critical of racism and to take a clear position against discrimination and racism. We also aim to encourage young refugees to stand up for their concerns, raise their voices and shape empowerment spaces in a self-determined way.

Facts

The BumF is the principal network for many actors in Germany who support unaccompanied refugee minors. More than 400 youth welfare associations as well as individuals working with unaccompanied refugee minors are members of the BumF. With the head office based in Berlin, several voluntary coordinators represent the BumF in the 16 federal states of Germany.

Contact

Unfortunately we can’t offer contacts to young refugees for art projects, interviews or alike nor assist in interview requests for university projects.

E-mail: info@b-umf.de

Phone: +49 (0)30 82 09 743 – 0
Fax:      +49 (0)30 82 09 743 – 9

You can reach our individual counseling service by phone on Thursdays, from 10:00 to 12:00.
However, you are welcome to send an e-mail with a callback request, including a brief description of your case and an indication of your availability during office hours.

The gender-specific counseling service for refugee girls and young women can be reached by telephone as follows

Times: Wednesday, 10.00 am – 11.00 am, Phone: +49 (0)30 82 09 743 – 0

You can send your inquiries by email at any time to the BumF advice address: beratung@b-umf.de

In urgent cases, e.g. if there is an acute risk of deportation or deadlines to be met, we ask you to contact lawyers directly.

Address:
Bundesfachverband Unbegleitete Minderjährige Flüchtlinge e.V.
Paulsenstraße 55-56, 12163 Berlin, Germany