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Asylum Seekers with German Jobs Want to Leave France
🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

Asylum Seekers with German Jobs Want to Leave France

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • In Dunkirk, France, asylum seekers who have worked in Germany are seeking to leave France.
  • One young Kurdish man, trained as an interior decorator in Germany, speaks "Swabian" German learned from his former employer.
  • The article contrasts these individuals' situations with Germany's ongoing debate about immigration into its social systems.

While Germany grapples with debates surrounding immigration into its social welfare systems, a different reality unfolds along the English Channel in Dunkirk, France. Here, individuals who have contributed to or were on the verge of contributing to Germany's social system are now seeking to leave France, a situation described as seemingly absurd.

Swabian

— Young Kurdish manStating his ability to speak the German dialect.

A young Kurdish man, encountered on a dusty gravel lot surrounded by makeshift tent encampments in the woods near Dunkirk, shared his story. He revealed that he can speak "Swabian," a dialect of German, a skill acquired during his vocational training as an "interior decorator" (Raumausstatter) in Germany. His ability to speak the language stems directly from his former employer's use of the dialect during his apprenticeship.

My boss spoke Swabian with me during my training.

— Young Kurdish manExplaining how he learned the German dialect.

This individual's situation highlights a complex migratory path. Having apparently gained skills and work experience in Germany, he now finds himself in Dunkirk, a common departure point for those attempting to cross the English Channel. His ability to speak German, a direct result of his time in Germany, underscores his prior integration into the German labor market, making his current circumstances in France and his desire to leave particularly striking.

Interior decorator

— Young Kurdish manDescribing his vocational training in Germany.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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