Refugees in Berlin create online map of essential resources for new arrivals

For the millions of refugees arriving in Europe, it can be difficult to adjust to new surroundings.

A group of refugees in Berlin have banded together to map key resources across the city, including counseling, healthcare, German language lessons, accommodation, legal assistance, police and public transport facilities.

Available in English, Farsi and Arabic, the map lists over 250 services that can accommodate Middle Eastern visitors. It even shows the locations of doctors and gynecologists who speak Farsi and Arabic, pinpoints firms that specialize in residence and asylum law and provides details on the location of halal restaurants and cafes.

The map was researched and developed by Hamidullah Ehrari, Mohammad Yari, Farhad Ramazanali, Alhadi Aldebs, residents of Haus Leo — a group home for refugees — as well as Wohnen für Flüchtlinge (Berliner Stadtmission), or the Berlin City Mission, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt, a contemporary art house.

Like Google’s lightweight site that helps refugees locate assistance in Greece, it’s a simple, well executed idea that can greatly benefit those who’ve just arrived in a strange place.

➤ Arriving in Berlin