LAF: People in Need in office

Berlin wanted to re-establish its chaotic refugee policy, in addition to the Lageso, an authority was created. Now their employees call for help.

LAF: People in Need in office
Content
  • Page 1 — in office
  • Page 2 — "massively dependent on holiday season and health status"
  • Page 3 — fewer asylum seekers, less clerks
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    Refugees who wait for days for an appointment and employees who work over ir heads – Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LAGESO) was regarded as epitome of an overtaxed authority. When 2015 more and more asylum seekers came to Berlin, Lageso barely knew where to go with m. The authority brought m into hostels, in gyms, in hangars of former Tempelhof airport.

    Berlin wanted to improve chaotic conditions and created its own authority in summer of 2016 with state Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF). The registration office is now separated from department granting asylum seekers benefits. Instead of a central location in Berlin district of Moabit, re are now four in whole city. The LAF president Claudia Langeheine called reform a success.

    Neverless, Council of Authority has now, for second time, written a so-called hazard notification. The employees of LAF were "burdened beyond tolerable measure", according to Radio Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). Again, re is talk of staff shortage, as it was almost a year ago, when administration promised to improve. Has nothing changed?

    Not trained for new tasks

    The work of LAF has become more structured, one hears of refugees and home managers. The Lageso was 2015 completely overloaded, also gives Sascha Langen Bach, spokesman of Authority. But it comes immediately to advantages of new system: shorter waiting times, better cooperation with health insurance companies and centres, interpreters are always on site and universally applicable.

    Recently, a delegation from South Korea had been with him, says Langen Bach. She wanted to know how LAF works – if re are suddenly more refugees coming from North Korea. It sounds like LAF has become flagship authority.

    The situation has improved a bit, confirms a LAF employee who wants to remain anonymous. He reports on a new archiving system for files and a working group on internal Communication. In particular, new customer service area, in which requests are processed by people without an appointment, relieve employees.

    Neverless, man says that situation is still chaotic. Thousands of letters would have to be answered, including invoices from doctors and landlords, some of whom waited for months for ir payment. In addition, employees now also have to offset housing costs with income received from subsistence jobs or check operating costs. They are not trained for this. "We often don't know if it's right what we're doing," says man.

    Date Of Update: 08 November 2017, 12:03
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