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“important today”
Refugees from Ukraine: Can we do it?
Larissa (right) from Bucha, Ukraine, sits with her aunt and her sons in a tent for refugees from Ukraine in front of the main train station
© Hannibal Hanschke / DPA
Many people who have just fled Ukraine are welcomed with open arms in Germany. That’s good and right – and that’s why you have to think about their integration now, says the author Hadija Haruna-Oelker.
On February 24, 37 million people were still living in Ukraine – since the outbreak of the war, around 2.8 million of them have fled, at least for the time being had to look for a new home. Of these, around 145,000 people were registered in Germany, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In order to catch these people and accommodate them as quickly as possible, associations and aid organizations are springing up like mushrooms, families and individuals offer their help on a voluntary basis and the welcoming culture in Germany is very important. But this help must not diminish within a short time, demands the journalist and book author Hadija Haruna-Oelker in episode 232 of “today important”.
“We can learn from the reception of the refugees in 2015”
Right now it is important to think about what the new life of the refugees should look like. How their everyday life can be designed when the first time of arrival is over. This can be learned in particular from 2015, says Haruna-Oelker: “We can learn from the reception of refugees from Syria and other countries in 2015 […] and ask what were the hurdles? Now to remove the hurdles for everyone.” At that time Angela Merkel said “We can do it!”, but the ‘welcome’ quickly flattened out. Many structures, such as the schooling of refugee children and young people, were not considered. But Haruna-Oelker believes that we can make it this time as well and thus be able to prepare for conflicts that will definitely follow in the future: “The war goes on, people come and stay – hence the issue. So we have time, us [damit] too busy.”
“The war goes on, people come and stay”
The topic of discrimination also plays an important role in the successful admission of people. Because many people still have stereotypes in their heads, for example when they think of certain nationalities, says Hadija Haruna-Oelker. For example, there are Black Ukrainians as well as Black Germans. In Germany in particular there are people who have a history of migration in their family and who have had to experience discrimination as a result. That’s why the author asks herself all the more: “Why haven’t we actually learned in our society to talk about our differences and the associated experiences of discrimination?”
© TVNOW / Andreas Friese
Podcast “important today”
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for this star– and RTL reporters with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a well-founded say.
In her book “The beauty of difference. Thinking differently together”, which was published on March 14, 2022, Hadija Haruna-Oelker deals with the topics of discrimination and racism. The best way to think differently together is to deal with people and groups of people that you don’t yet know yourself. Especially in times of war, when people have to flee and have to look for a new home, this rethinking is more important than ever.
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