bridge – Berlin Networks for the Right to Stay

Bridge supports refugees who face particular disadvantages in the labour market, such as unaccompanied minors, women with children, refugees with disabilities and refugees with an uncertain residence status. In addition to helping people find school, training positions, and jobs, they also prepare them for employment through pre-vocational courses and job application training. Individual support is provided for entering the labor market, including close guidance before, during, and after job placement.

Overview of all bridge services

Bridge also offers qualification programmes in the following areas:

• Technical and commercial professions
• Health care and nursing professions
• Computer courses

Furthermore, bridge supports companies and other labour market actors with all issues relating to the employment of refugees, provides training, and develops information material.

Participation in bridge is free of charge.

The Commissioner of the Berlin Senate for Participation, Integration and Migration coordinates the network, provides professional guidance for its activities and strengthens regional cooperation. The Commissioner’s department also provides counselling and training on residence law and labour market access for refugees, employers, and multipliers. They additionally offer career counselling for refugees.

The new Opportunity Residence Act (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht) aims to help people who have held a temporary suspension of deportation (“Duldung”) for many years in Germany to qualify for a residence permit. Contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.

Refugees with Duldung status (temporary suspension of deportation) share their experiences in three short films, describing their uncertainties about residence status, how they have dealt with them, and their path to training and employment

Bridge is funded by the programme “WIR – Networks integrate refugees into the regional labour market” by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus), and is co-financed by the state of Berlin.