Accessibility
‘My hands are tied!?’ - Network meeting on refuge, migration and disability
From 18 to 19 September 2025, Flüchtlingshilfe Lippe e.V and the Nationwide Network on Flight, Migration and Disability, the Accessibility Services (ZAB) and the AG ‘Uni ohne Vorurteile’ held their annual Germany-wide network conference at Bielefeld University. Stakeholders and experts from public administration and science, counselling and welfare services, and civil society came together for two days of respectful and productive exchange on the topics of refuge and migration of people with disabilities.
In lectures and workshops entitled ‘My hands are tied!?’ the legal situation of refugees with disabilities who fall under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (AsylbLG) was examined in detail. On the first day of the event, participants were given an overview of the distribution of responsibilities, the scope of benefits and the procedure for providing benefits in contrast to the group of persons covered by the Second Book/Twelfth Book of the Social Code (SGB II/SGB XII). A panel discussion on the reformed definition of disability in accordance with the Federal Participation Act of 2018 rounded off the first day. On the second day of the event, the topics were explored in greater depth in individual workshops and practical solutions were discussed together.