Oskar Schmid

How did you get involved with ArrivalAid ?

That was 2015/16. There was the “refugee crisis”. I don't like this word. So many refugees came there. And it was clear that it was actually a big story and would definitely be. And then I thought, how can I get involved? What can I do? I don't remember how, but I came across ArrivalAid . And back then there was only Anhörung advice and Anhörungsbegleitung . And I thought it was a really great story that I could easily imagine taking action on. That it suits me. I then had the impression that I was standing in the right place.

Was this your first volunteer position?

No, I've had countless ones. I just reconsidered. I think I only attended the second training session at the beginning of 2016. The first one didn't work out in terms of timing.

How many hours per week do you commit to ArrivalAid ?

That's really hard to say because I don't write it down. I would say definitely 5 hours a week.

Have you actively decided to join ArrivalAid ?

I came across ArrivalAid by chance and when I read what it was about, the decision was clear to me. I didn't have to think about it for long.

Did you know exactly what you wanted to do as a volunteer?

No, I didn't know that for sure. But when I saw the offer, I knew that this was a really great opportunity for me.

Would you recommend that others get involved with ArrivalAid ?

At any time. I'm just not a gifted persuader. But I can only warmly recommend ArrivalAid to everyone. As a club where you can get involved and where you also have a lot of freedom. Where you basically have to figure out how to get along on your own, but at the same time you always have the organization behind you. I think it's great to work like this.

Would you recommend volunteering in general?

Yes, anytime! Only career and self-realization, something is still missing. And it's not as altruistic as you might imagine - that's something you'll get. And now that I think about it: all the refugees I have to deal with now. In a way they are friendships. These are often really great relationships that last for years.

That was also the case with ArrivalAid , after the Anhörung advice came the lawsuit advice and then came the integration advice. I haven't formally taken part in the training, but I do it automatically. And run along. The refugees call me when they receive letters from the BAMF or the court. And then I go to the lawyer because he often doesn't make decisions based solely on the minutes.

Does this mean that your involvement goes beyond mere Anhörung preparation?

Yes, definitely for me.

Do you have an experience that you particularly remember from your volunteer work?

There are often incredibly great constellations with the listeners during Anhörung . They can be extremely itchy. But then the next day there is one that is just normal. And I find something like that really uplifting when you see how normal something like that can be. That there is someone there who has already dealt with the case in detail. This is of course a help if you put your mind to it.

I do it in such a way that I don't try to persuade the listener and I don't mess up the craft just when I see that mistakes are happening. And there are many mistakes made during Anhörung that are not meant to be bad at all. And you just notice it when you've heard the case before. And then the listeners appreciate that too. When they realize that this isn't someone who's constantly babbling, then they appreciate it.

And of course there are also negative events, but I don't want to give them any space.