2017 Morrison & Foerster Pro Bono Report

PROTECTING YOUNG REFUGEES IN GERMANY Over one million refugees fled to Germany in 2015 to escape war and persecution — many of them unaccompanied minors. MoFo is working to protect and guide these young people as they build new lives. Before the war in Syria, the number of refugees seeking asylum in Germany was small, and the government could care for asylum seekers on its own. But the refugee crisis in 2015 changed everything. Today, there are more than 60,000 children and adolescents in Germany who entered the country as refugees without a parent or guardian. Nearly 14,500 arrived in 2015 alone, more than triple the number from a year before. The government needed help. MINORS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES Faced with an influx of more than 2,000 unaccompanied minors in Berlin alone, the president of the Berlin Court of Appeals called on lawyers to volunteer as guardians for these children, advocating for their housing and other governmental benefits. Lawyers from MoFo’s Berlin office answered the call. They now act as guardians for seven children from the Middle East, ages 10 to 18, who lost their parents in their home countries or on their way to Germany. Those involved are partners Kristina Ehle and Hanno Timner, counsel Felix Helmstäder and Julia Schwalm, and associates Jannis Werner and Jens Wollesen. “I have three kids of my own,” says Felix. When he learned of the many child refugees needing to integrate into a new culture and a new way of life, he explains, “I wondered how I would feel if my kids were in this situation.” Julia points out the broad responsibilities of a guardian, encompassing the children’s health, education, housing, food and clothing, and more. “We are responsible for all things that need a signature,” she says. “And in addition to that, we of course care about the children and want them to find a future here.” A key responsibility is to prepare the children for the asylum application process. “We have to collect their stories without re-traumatizing them,” says Julia. It’s critical to get detailed accounts, since the young asylum seekers will have to undergo official interviews in which any omission or inconsistency in their story could result in denial of asylum. Cultural integration is another challenge. A guardian had to convince one young refugee to look adults in the eye when speaking to them. In his home country of Pakistan, that is a sign of disrespect; in Germany, the opposite is true: averting one’s eyes is viewed with suspicion. Another refugee, only 11 years old, was encouraged by his guardian to join a soccer club to meet peers, have fun, and develop his language skills. MoFo lawyers Jens-Uwe Hinder, Moritz Heuser, and Jens Wollesen are also working pro bono on a refugee-related hotel project. They are advising Prinzip Heimat e.V., a charitable association that is establishing Hotel Utopia. The hotel will provide refugees with jobs and vocational training in hospitality and gastronomy. The American Lawyer recognized the firm’s work for refugees in Germany with its 2017 Global Legal Awards Grand Prize in Citizenship. I HAVE THREE KIDS OF MY OWN, AND I WONDERED HOW I WOULD FEEL IF MY KIDS WERE IN THIS SITUATION. FELIX HELMSTÄDTER IMMIGRANTS + REFUGEES MoFo lawyers work to ensure that immigrants and refugees are treated and respected as individuals with legal rights. IN THIS SECTION • Protecting Young Refugees in Germany • Refugees in Japan • Detention or Punishment? 22 | Morrison & Foerster Pro Bono Report

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