The “Refugees’ Library” is an archive of court sketches on the topics of asylum and migration. Each booklet portrays court proceedings that have actually taken place in Berlin(the names of the people involved have been changed). More than 20 translators volunteer in this project to make the booklets available to readers in a range of languages. The main concern is to make the archive library available to refugees as a resource of information to prepare for their own hearings.
Magomed, Dagestan / Asylum Law / 2017
Translator: Joan Somers Donnelly
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
Milad, Iran / Asylum Law /2016
Translator: Lydia White
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
Magomed, Dagestan / Asylum Law / 2016
Translator: Lydia White
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
Burhan, Afghanistan / Asylum Law / 2016
Translator: Joan Somers Donnelly
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
Adam, Chechnya / Asylum Law / 2016
Translator: Joan Somers Donnelly
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
Afnan, Palestina / Immigration Law, Residence Permit / 2016
Translator: Lydia White
Text, Drawings: Marina Naprushkina
2013
1 – Arsam, Iran / Asylum Law
Arsam N., 20 years old, was born in Iran. There he started to visit a protestant church. One day the church was attacked by the police. Arsam received threats from the police and even from his own family. He fled to Turkey and from there on to Germany.
2 – Hamid, Afghanistan / Asylum Law
Hamid Q., born in Afghanistan, belongs to the Hazara ethnic group. After an accident, he was severely threatened by the victim’s family.
Proofreader: Lydia White
3 – Said, Somalia / Asylum Law
Said N. is a Somalian citizen, he entered Germany in July 2011. He came to Italy on a motorboat and spent 7 months in an enclosed camp in Italy. Said entered Germany in July 2011, graduated from school here and understands German well. The Federal Agency rejected his motion because it accused him of filing a second application in Germany after his petition in Italy was rejected.
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
4 – Andisheh, Iran / Asylum Law
Andisheh fled to Germany in 2011 with her husband and daughter. In Teheran she used to work as a secretary in a doctor’s office. After the election of 2009 politically active patients were treated in the doctor’s office. These people came from prisons and had often been tortured there. The patients‘ data was saved on a laptop. Andisheh volunteered to take this laptop to her home for safekeeping, without informing her husband. In 2011, the family’s house was searched and the family fled.
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
5 – Jakov, Serbia / Deportation
Jakov K. is 26 years old, born and schooled in Berlin. K. is a Serbian citizen, but in possession of a permanent permit of residence. K. is addicted to drugs. Several penal procedures were opened against him. K. is threatened to be deported to Serbia
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
Proofreader: Lydia White
6 – Adi, Afghanistan / Asylum Law
Adi K. entered Germany in 2011 and had a hearing in the Federal Office in October 2011. Adi K. is from Ghazni province. Adi K. escaped to Iran, traveled to Turkey and from there he took a truck to Germany. He fled because of persecution. Adi K. was threatened and abducted.
Translator: Markus Baathe
Proofreader: Lydia White
7 – Rohat, Turkey / Asylum Law
Rohat C. is a Turkish citizen of Kurdish background. He filed an asylum bid in 2012. In 2013, he was heard in front of the Federal Agency as to the reasons of his petition. Mr C. was convicted to 6 months in prison in 2011 due to violation of the veiling laws. The Federal Agency rejected the motion, as no reasons for political persecution could be ascertained.
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
8 – Ruslan, Dagestan / Asylum Law
Ruslan Y. comes from Dagestan. He and his brother arrived in Germany as unaccompanied minors.
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
Proofreader: Lydia White
9 – Hazim, Iraq / Asylum Law
Hazim S. is a Yazidi of Kurdish heritage.
Translator: Leaticia Kossligk
Proofreader: Joan Somers Donnelly
10 – Rojin, Iraq / Asylum Law
Rojin D. is Yazidi of Kurdish decent. She fled with her two children from Iraq to Germany.
Translator: David Ey
Proofreader: Joan Somers Donnelly
11 – Fernando, Honduras / National foreigner law
Fernando Jose Antonio Ramirez came to German 2008 as the son of a diplomat. After he divorced, authorities refused to extend his temporary residence permit.
Translator: Charlotte Stromberg
12 – Tatiana and Rahmon, Dagestan / Asylum Law
Tatiana and Rahmon are married and have two sons. They lived in a village in Dagestan (Russian Federation). When police learned that Rahmon’s brother had joined rebel forces, they repeatedly visited Tatiana and Rahmon’s house and violently assaulted both of them. They decided to flee to Germany, but their asylum application was refused. In court they filed suit against their imminent deportation.
Translator: Charlotte Stromberg
13 – Blagomir, Bosnia / Visa
Translator: Sonja Hornung
14 – Ahmed, Chechnya
Ahmed comes from Chechnya. His first application for asylum was rejected in Poland. In 2010, Ahmed applied for asylum in Germany with his wife.
Translator: Zoë Miller
15 – Karen and Narine, Armenia / Asylum Law
Translator:Lydia White
Refugees' Library 