Ausländer* für Berlin (AfB) Election Programme

1. Ensure bureaucratic accessibility!

How many new small businesses would be starting up in Neukölln if advanced German language skills weren’t required to get them off the ground? We demand that all government agencies in our district make all their documents, forms, and online services available in at least five different languages—for both entrepreneurs and basic income recipients. 

2. Promote multilingualism from day one! 

In our district, children naturally grow up speaking multiple languages. But instead of harnessing this potential from the start, the current education system often leaves families to fend for themselves. For the largest community languages, we want to hire two to three specialized educators for each, who will work flexibly with interested daycare centers and elementary schools. 

3. Clean up the city!

Berlin has no money for anything—and rather visibly not for city cleaning either.  

Residents have long recognized the problem and are not sitting idly by: various cleanup initiatives are already popping up all over the city. We want to bring these initiatives together, maintain constant communication with the BSR, and roll up our sleeves to get to work ourselves. Residents of the traditionally poorer or predominantly migrant areas of the city also deserve to live in a clean environment!

4. Address addiction and homelessness in public spaces!

Berliners got too used to the idea that ignoring and looking away is already helpful enough. 

We call for information campaigns that educate society about the complex issues of homelessness and addiction, while also pointing people toward existing, concrete social services and agencies. We call for targeted training for the police and other public services. We call for more supervised consumption rooms. We call for clear support-chains and defined responsibilities!

5. Democratic participation for everyone!

EU law grants EU citizens the right to vote in local elections; in Berlin, however, this right is restricted due to the city’s status as a federal state. We call for the elections to Berlins House of Representatives (“Abgeordnetenhaus”) to be also made available for non-German citizens who’ve been residents in the city for longer than three years! Also the local referendums (“Volksentscheide”) have to be made accessible to everyone who will be actually influenced by them. All residents of Berlin should have the right to vote - not just the ones with German- or EU-Passports!

6. The future of Tempelhofer Feld cannot be decided over our heads

In 2014 the citizens of Berlin decided in a city-wide referendum to maintain Tempelhofer Feld as an open green space, and to ban any construction sites on it indefinitely. Strangely, the two main German establishment-parties have been pushing for years to cover one third of this wonderful space with buildings. This is absurd: the highest power of a state is still the People, not the majority parties, and the People of Berlin have already spoken. No to a construction site on the Feld!

7. Migration is a Resource - Let’s Harness Diversity!

Migration is not a problem to be managed, but rather an enormous asset and resource for our community. We are committed to a district that finally recognizes the diverse skills, lived multilingualism, and transnational competencies of its residents as strengths. We want to strengthen volunteer engagement and remove bureaucratic hurdles for initiatives. Our goal is a district where everyone actively helps shape their living environment.

8. Affordable housing and strong neighborhoods – Stop displacement!

Housing is not an investment property, but a fundamental basis for stability in everyday life. We demand a legally sound and sensible implementation of the successful referendum “Deutsche Wohnen & Co. Enteignen”!  In addition, we want to strengthen tenant advisory boards, actively raise awareness among private housing companies about the needs of tenants, and promote neighborhood projects. 

9. Safe Walking, Cycling, and Public Transportation!

Mobility is a matter of social justice. The fact is: People with a migrant background, families, and older adults in our district are far more likely to get around on foot, with a stroller, or by bus and train. Specifically, we call for comprehensive traffic calming measures through the creation of neighborhood blocks and safe school routes, a seamless, protected bike network, and a massive expansion of public transit. We demand the consistent and long-term construction of new tram lines - above all along Sonnenallee. Clean, safe, and affordable mobility cannot be a privilege, but must become part of everyday life for all Berliners.

10. Public Space as a Community Space – Parks and Squares as Living Rooms for Everyone! Solidarity and Opportunities for All Generations!

Public space is at the heart of our daily life together. Parks, squares, and streets are not just thoroughfares or green spaces—they are our neighborhood’s shared living room, where people of all generations and cultures come together. We want to reclaim public space for the community and ensure that it is welcoming, clean, and freely accessible to everyone. Because a strong neighborhood needs vibrant places where people enjoy spending time without having to spend money. Additionally we call not only for more benches in the public spaces, but also for more tables - so people wanting to work or study outside of their apartments are able to do so.