Migration - Increased demand for church asylum
In Saxony-Anhalt, there is once again increasing demand for church asylum. The requests to church parishes are on the rise again, said Monika Schwenke, Chairwoman of the Hartz IV Commission of the State and Migration Representative for the Magdeburg Diocese. There is once again strong pressure on refugees.
The same observation applies to the Evangelical Church in Anhalt. The demand for church asylum has increased in the last months, as the number of attempted deportations has risen, said the Church's representative for church asylum, Pastor Johannes Lewek, from Bernburg. Not every request is accepted, however. Church asylum means a lot of work for parishes, it is said from the churches.
The Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) sees a stable level. In the first five months of this year, there have been 17 cases of church asylum in the EKM area in Saxony-Anhalt. Last year, there were a total of 40 cases.
- Due to the rising number of deportation attempts, the Magdeburg Diocese in Saxony-Anhalt has witnessed an uptick in requests for church asylum, with the Parish of Magdeburg serving as a sanctuary for many refugees.
- The increase in requests for church asylum in Magdeburg aligns with the trend observed in other regions of Saxony-Anhalt, such as in Bernburg, where the Evangelical Church has been providing shelter to refugees facing deportation.
- Despite the challenging circumstances, it's important to note that not all requests for church asylum in Saxony-Anhalt are granted, placing significant demands on local parishes to provide support and care for the refugees.
