IN A VERY DARK PLACE.

Question

I have a matter of concern, i was issued a ban on deportation in December and received my Aufenthaltserlaubnis.  I am also disability 50gdp and with ptsd, i received the disability card in 2021 for my vision. It is very hard to navigate through the system with 0 assistance for Termin etc. I went to my eye doctor because i noticed a severe change in my vision and a representative accompanied me because i needed support.  While explaining the changes the Dr seemed more  agitated and hostile as of he wanted to get me out of the office, even the person who accompanied me said it also " he doesnt listen and is very dismissive " with a statement saying my eyes have not gotten better or worst, when i am the one experiencing the changes. With that being said  a very superficial test was done  and when i asked questions about my concerns he said there it is normal. I am at a bad state of mind at the moment and the anxiety along with the stress of feeling like i have to beg for my monthly allowance to care for my daughter and send her to school. Please can i take some action in reguards to this This happened on the  5 of May.  Also even now I have not received assistance I don't have food and this is becoming very dark for me . I have called socialamt they keep hanging up the phone, my friend also call and they said they would put the money since last week Wednesday  and it would take 3 days, today is Thursday.  Is this how disabled people are treated in Germany or is it because of my ethnicity . I feel depressed and trapped I feel I don't want to live like this anymore  I've  been through enough

Answer 1

Dear @Trinity

I am sorry to read of your situation and hope we can offer some help here.

Firstly, if you still haven’t received payment from the Sozialamt, you can go there in person and request an advance payment. In German this is called ‘Vorschuss’. You tell them that you have no money (in German ‘mittellos’) and they are obliged to pay you some of your entitlements there and then in the form of cash or vouchers/cheques you can redeem at the supermarket.

The legal basis for this right is paragraph 40of the Sozialgesetzbuch I (here in online translation):

https://***-sozialgesetzbuch--sgb-de.translate.goog/sgbi/42.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Regarding your medical situation, if you are unhappy with the treatment you are receiving, you have the option to change to a different doctor. In Germany there is a free choice of which doctor to go to. In addition or alternatively, there are special medical centres called Policlinics in certain parts of Germany. These places cannot replace the expertise you need for your specific condition but they assist individuals who have difficulty getting fair treatment in the medical system, for example foreigners. Here is an overview of where they are in Germany:

https://***-poliklinik--syndikat-org.translate.goog/ueber-uns/projekte/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

If you are discriminated against based on your disability, ethnicity or other reasons, you can contact the Federal Anti-Discrimination Office. They will assist you for free and in English:

https://***.antidiskriminierungsstelle.de/EN/homepage/homepage-node.html

There are also anti-discrimination advisory offices in many parts of Germany, usually called Antidiskriminerungsbüro or something similar. They can also advise you conficentially, in English and for free.

Regarding your mental health, there are special psychosocial centres which offer free counselling to foreigners in Germany. Some are specifically for refugees, some are open to all migrants here. Here is an example of the kind of work one does in Berlin:

https://***.ueberleben.org/en/our-work/departments/migrant-support/psychotherapie-und-psychosoziale-angebote-en/

These centres are active in addition to the standard mental health structures within the German health system. To go this latter route, you can go to a GP (Hausarzt or Hausärztin) you feel comfortable speaking with and they can refer you to mental health professionals.

If you let us know what part of Germany you are in, I can also **** to see if there are other suitable supports there. Feel free to contact us with any other questions.

Best,

Éanna

Comments

I am in Crossen an der Elster.

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I didn't find any supports directly in Crossen. In Gera there is a migrant advisory service which can assist people with various issues:

https://***-migrationsberatung--gera-de.translate.goog/News/1488281838/1488282654/Startseite?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

I looked where the special psychosocial services for refugees (PSZ) are nearest to you. There's one in Jena:

https://***-refugio--thueringen-de.translate.goog/anmeldung?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true

And one in Halle:

https://psz--sachsen--anhalt-de.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

The website of the one in Halle is being updated but they provide a number you can call on that page.

In terms of speaking to someone about discrimination, the closest services to you are those of the Antidiscrimination Office of Saxony in Leipzig and Chemnitz:

https://***.adb-sachsen.de/en

As you are in Sachsen-Anhalt, however, they may refer you to the antidiscrimination office there, or you can just contact them directly yourself:

https://antidiskriminierungsstelle-sachsen-anhalt.de/en/contact/

I hope that helps, let me know if you need further information about anything.