The "Minimum Standards for the Protection of Refugees in Refugee Accommodations" were the first nationwide guidelines for the development, implementation, and monitoring of violence protection in refugee accommodations developed in 2016. The revised 2021 version takes into account political and legal changes as well as feedback from professional practice. The federal initiative "Protection of Refugees in Refugee Accommodations" is responsible for the guidelines.
The federal initiative
Since spring 2016, a broad alliance of civil society actors has been working together in the federal initiative under the coordination of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The common goal is to effectively protect vulnerable groups, such as women, children, and LGBTIQ people, from violence in shared accommodation. Further information on the federal initiative can be found at https://www.gewaltschutz-gu.de/.
The minimum standards
Divided into different fields of action, the minimum standards provide recommendations on how protection from violence in refugee accommodation can be ensured effectively and, at the same time, in accordance with the different needs of the various residents. Thanks to the expertise of various partners, the publication has already been expanded to include practical annexes on the implementation of the minimum standards for LGBTIQ refugees, refugees with disability or refugees with trauma-related disorders. The minimum standards thus serve as a useful tool for both decision-makers and social workers in shelters.
With the participation of the federal initiative's partner organizations, violence protection coordinators, and official representatives at the state and local levels, the 2021 minimum standards were updated and further improved in line with political and legal developments, as well as the needs of professional practice.
The updated minimum standards are here available for free download.
Quality recommendations
Current women's shelter statistics
