Red alert for women's centers in Lower Saxony: Vital help is threatened!

Red alert for women's centers in Lower Saxony: Vital help is threatened!

In Lower Saxony, the women's centers in initial reception centers are facing an existential threat. How NDR reported, there is a lack of financial resources, which could lead to possible closures of the important centers. These facilities are not only places of support, but also a safe haven for refugee women.

The women's centers play a crucial role in the initial reception centers in Oldenburg, Bramsche, Osnabrück, Friedland and Braunschweig. They offer assistance with topics such as maternity records, pregnancies and administrative matters. Particularly noteworthy are the group offerings such as painting and dancing, which take place in Osnabrück and Bramsche and offer women space to develop.

Important support in difficult times

The AMBA project, a network of nine organizations in Lower Saxony, is committed to improving reception conditions for asylum seekers. He explained this Lower Saxony Refugee Council. The project, which has been active since 2015, has already offered advice to almost 18,000 asylum seekers and held numerous training and information events for both those affected and specialists.

The most important goals of the AMBA project include strengthening refugee women in the asylum process and providing targeted advice on vulnerable living situations. However, the threatened closure of women's centers could jeopardize progress in integration and support.

A worrying look into the future

Current forecasts from the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior assume that there will be around 7,200 people seeking protection by spring 2026. In view of the existing challenges caused by attacks and the lack of mandatory violence protection concepts, the situation is becoming increasingly explosive. The Lower Saxony Refugee Council and other social associations are calling on the state to close the funding gap, but the Lower Saxony Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Equality is not planning to provide its own funds for the time being.

So the situation is tense and advocacy for women's centers is becoming increasingly important. The facilities are an indispensable component for many refugee women who are seeking protection in these difficult times. It remains to be hoped that politicians will soon take the necessary steps to secure the valuable work of these centers.