Resources for impacted people

Collage with court in background and flowers, open hands, and roses in foreground.

Are you facing a Trial?

You are not alone! People from migrant and racialized communities are disproportionately criminalized and punished. Punishment does not equal justice! Here are some organizations that may be helpful if you have been controlled by police, accused of a crime, and/or face a trial:

Counseling and legal advice

1) Advice for victims of racial profiling and racist police violence at ReachOut e.V.

What? ReachOut is a counseling center for victims of right-wing and racist violence and threats in Berlin. ReachOut advises victims of racial profiling and racist police violence. You can ask them for advice and support in finding a lawyer, receiving psycho-social help, and/or for someone to accompany you to court appointments.

For Whom? People who have experienced racial profiling or racist police violence

Contact: Email beratung@reachoutberlin.de or call 030/ 69 56 83 39

Address: Kopernikusstr. 23 (Hinterhaus 2. Etage) 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

More Information: https://www.reachoutberlin.de/

2) Advice on criminal and migration law at CoLab

What? Free initial legal consultation on questions of criminal and migration law. If you have an insecure migration status and/or are facing criminal charges, you can seek free legal advice here. You should reach out if you are concerned about how a criminal punishment could impact your right to stay in Germany. The consultation is open on Wednesdays 3PM to 6PM and takes place in Colab (Görlitzer Park). For Whom? People who need legal advice on criminal and/or migration law

Contact: Register with Paula (0176 45852574) / Sarah (0176 15283032) or write to colab-wrangel@gangway.de

Address: CoLab Görli, Görlitzer Straße 1-3, im Görlitzer Park, 10997 Berlin

More Information: https://gangway.de/teams/colab-goerli/

3) Advice on criminal and migration law at Rote Lilly

What? Free initial legal consultation on criminal and migration law. If you have an insecure migration status and/or are facing criminal charges, you can seek free legal advice here. You should reach out if you are concerned about how a criminal punishment could impact your right to stay in Germany. The consultation is open every second and fourth Friday of the month between 5PM and 7PM.

For Whom? People who need legal advice on criminal and/or migration law

Address: Stadtteilladen Rote Lilly, Emser Str. 114, 12051 Berlin-Neukölln

More Information: https://gegenmacht.jetzt/events/

4) Summary proceedings consultation (Strafbefehl or so-called yellow letter Beratung)

What? People who have received a letter with a court decision without a trial, also called a summary proceeding (Strafbefehl) can seek general advice on how to proceed on Mondays and Thursdays, 15-18h. It is important to seek advice quickly, as appealing this decision is only possible within 14 days. If no appeal is made, the sentence stated in the letter takes effect. For Whom? People who received a summary proceeding letter, usually with an order to pay a fine.

Contact: 030 / 4036 579 30

Address: Köpenicker Str. 175, 10997 Berlin

More Information: https://www.strafbefehlsberatung.de/

5) Advice center for refugees and migrants at KUB

What? Advice for refugees and migrants concerning asylum procedures, psychosocial counseling, and other support. Services cover the asylum process, deportation issues, residence permit applications or renewals, suspension of deportation (Duldung), and options for legal residency. Counseling is available in person on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with registration starting at 9 a.m. For Whom? Refugees and migrants residing in Berlin or Brandenburg

Contact: 030 / 614 94 00

Address: Oranienstr. 159, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

More Information: https://kub-berlin.org/

The legal advice options mentioned below provide initial consultations, often free of charge, but are not always able to represent people in their cases. However, they may be able to refer you to a lawyer and/or help with requesting appointed counsel from the court system.

Solidarity in Court

You do not need to be alone in court.* We are in solidarity with all people who are criminalized. Do you want us to accompany you to your trial and document your case? Reach out to us via email (info@justice-collective.org) or text our courtwatch hotline in the language you feel most comfortable in. You can reach us on Whatsapp, Signal or Telegram: 0176 41061559

If you have experienced criminalization in relation to your solidarity with a free Palestine, you can also contact solidarischeprozessbegleitung@protonmail.com if you want someone to accompany you to court and document your trial.

*We are self-organized and cannot offer any legal advice. If you are looking for a lawyer, we can provide you with a list of trusted lawyers who we know to have fought alongside their clients to get the best outcome. We are able to join your case in solidarity and to document the case so that you have an account, so that you may share it with your lawyer, or if you want to use it to tell your story.

Financial Help

1) Emergency fund against punishment

Starting February 2025, Justice Collective hopes to help people to pay their fines. Our aim is to support people who are at risk of prison for non-payment of fines (Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe) and/or have no means to pay fines and we are currently fundraising towards that goal. We hope to contribute in cases where there is currently no other support available, and up to €500. Please reach out to us if you need help or click here to donate to our fund.

2) KOP legal aid fund

The KOP legal aid fund provides financial support to victims of racist police violence and is intended to enable people to defend themselves against the injustice inflicted on them through legal action and/or press work. Contact info@kop-berlin.de for more information.

3) Freedom Fund

Are you currently serving a prison sentence (or are you about to) because you could not pay your fine for riding the train without a ticket? Fill out this form and send it to info@freiheitsfonds.de. Freedom Fund frees people who are serving a so-called Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe for failing to pay fines after being found guilty of fare evasion.

4) Sanktionsfrei

If you receive money from the job center but have received a sanction or the job center has failed to pay you on time, you can reach out to info@sanktionsfrei.de to temporarily cover the cost. Sanktionsfrei will also support you in legal actions against the job center to fix the issue.

5) 3ezwa - Palestine Legal Fund

Have you been arrested at a Palestine-solidarity protest? Founded by a coalition of activists and groups unified by solidarity with the people of Palestine, 3ezwa's focus is to provide financial and legal support to those who experience repression for their commitment to the Palestinian cause. Visit https://3ezwa.de/ to learn more.

For family members and support networks

Glossary for interpreters and language mediators in the context of refugee and migration - German, English, French, Arabic, Persian, Turkish

Glossary for interpreters and language mediators in the context of refugee and migration - German, Russian, Spanish, Albanian, Portuguese

Guides on filming the police (DE/EN/FR/AR/ES/IT/BR)

Map of counseling service options for immigrants, BfZ (housing, healthcare, education, welfare, anti-violence and more). This overview may be useful for orientation but we cannot attest to the quality of each consultation center listed.

Justice Collective has done its best to identify resources in the community that are high quality and anti-racist. However, we cannot be responsible or liable for the services provided by other organizations.

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