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The residents’ committee represents and advocates for the interests of the residents living in the five refugee accommodations in Berlin-Neukölln. Every seven months, the residents of each accommodation elect their representatives. Together the representatives make up the residents committee. 

The representatives’ role in their respective accommodation is to serve as a first point of contact for their fellow residents. Always up to date they keep an open ear for the concerns of residents. For this purpose, they are available during weekly office hours where residents can discuss matters of concern personally with them. Feedback is also collected by e-mail and in the feedback mailboxes in the accommodations. This way, representatives stay informed on current events, challenges, and the mood in their respective accomodations. 

Once a month, the representatives of all five accomodations come together for a committee meeting – accompanied by translators – where they discuss current topics and represent their accomodations. 

The residents’ committee serves as a mediator between the residents, the authorities and civil society: It is in direct contact with the district office and can provide valuable feedback and, if necessary, suggestions for improvement. 

An open and democratic structure promotes dialogue and enables cooperation. In this way, Neukölln’s refugees are given a say and the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making processes that affect their lives in shelters and beyond. Our goal is to strengthen the sense of community in the accommodations and to help ensure that all residents feel equally heard and supported.

About Us

The non-profit organization BUNT- Stiftung Bildung und integrative Arbeit is tasked with establishing the residents committee by the district council of Berlin-Neukölln. For more than ten years already BUNT has been dedicated to furthering the integration of refugees and people who had only arrived in Germany recently. Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine began, we have established ourselves as a reliable and trusted first point of contact for many Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Berlin. With integration courses, seminars and a wide range of social projects we offer support to anyone. BUNT (german for colourful) is not only our name but our philosophy. We advocate diversity within our own ranks and Berlin.

Representatives

Each of the five refugee accommodations in Neukölln democratically elects three representatives of its own, who advocate for the interests of their accommodation. The committee is composed of the representatives from all accommodations and gets together once a month for a committee meeting. All residents are invited to contact their representatives personally on site or via e-mail to discuss their concerns, issues and ideas.