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| The BIWAK building |
One group with an especially serious social disadvantage is that of unaccompanied refugee minors, who, for different reasons, become stranded in wealthy countries. They are fleeing war and suppression, leave their home country out of poverty and hopelessness, or their parents sent them away so that they could progress in life or earn money to support their families. In rich countries like Austria, the youths arrive on their own, find themselves in a completely unknown culture, and are unsettled. They cannot be deported to their home countries, however, it often takes a long time until they receive a residence permit, if at all. It takes a while for a decision to be made about whether they will be allowed to stay or have to go, and during this time they are unable to lead an active life.
At this stage, the youths do not belong anywhere, they only have very limited rights to education, jobs, flats and mobility, and they are in need of respective services to support, counsel and accompany them. A young team of child social educators, psychologists, child educators and social workers at BIWAK, in Hall in the Tyrol, is trying to make up to 15 homeless youths feel at home again, to establish a structured daily routine for them that makes sense, enable them to get accustomed to the local conditions, and care for them according to their ages.
BIWAK defines itself as a flat-sharing community offering "high-level" care. This means that tailor-made care is being offered with a care person available anytime: There are daily items on the agenda and compulsory participation in group life and group activities, but these do not limit the youths' necessary urge for freedom. "This kind of intensive care is not suitable for all youths", says BIWAK director Lorenz Kerer. "A youth who, for example, had been fleeing for six months, completely on his or her own and has had to survive without any outside help might have difficulties with this kind of care."
However, most young people between 14 and 18 experience BIWAK as a new home, an opportunity to mentally cope with extremely difficult situations and to seize the few opportunities open to them for creating their own future defined by law. The Austrian way of life and the local conditions help them to adapt, "Eventually, the young people want to settle down and live here", says Lorenz Kerer.
The young people currently living at BIWAK come from Afghanistan, the Gambia, Vietnam, Somalia, Nigeria, and the Lebanon, among others. The day starts with a German class for everybody, then cleaning, tidying, washing, ironing and cooking is on the agenda, lunching together, and the afternoon is free. Counselling, training programmes and supportive measures are also being offered. One of the most important efforts of the BIWAK team is the search for jobs and training opportunities. This is a rather difficult undertaking, as the youths' status does not allow for an official work permit or access to apprenticeship placements. Sometimes the only thing they can do is find the day-to-day loopholes in the tight system of asylum legislation, like charitable work, which is permitted.
Numerous public institutions, private and cultural initiatives and committed individuals in the city of Hall in the Tyrol, where BIWAK is located in a spacious, old house, actively support and co-design the integration project by SOS Children's Villages Austria, and want to give a home to the young refugees, even if only temporarily, as they have to leave BIWAK upon coming of age. The state then decides on whether they have to leave or not.