Nearly 1,300 unaccompanied minors are living in Hamburg, often waiting long for care.
Delays in assistance for vulnerable minors
Unaccompanied children and teenagers who flee to Hamburg need significant protection. Their initial point of contact should be the Child and Youth Emergency Service (KJND) at Feuerbergstraße in Ohlsdorf, where they can receive accommodation and support from caregivers. However, data obtained by the Left Party from the Senate shows frequent issues, with the party condemning the red-green coalition for a “complete failure” in addressing the problem.
Upon arrival, minors sometimes wait several months before receiving further assistance. “Hamburg is completely abandoning unaccompanied minor refugees,” said Carola Ensslen, the party’s spokesperson on refugee policy. “Guardians see their 50 assigned minors a maximum of three times a year,” which is “far too little, far too late,” Ensslen criticized. Additionally, many young refugees lack guardians entirely; in May 2024, there were 192 without a guardian, compared to 199 in April and 194 in March.
Risks of neglect and radicalization
Before guardianship is even considered, age determination conducted by the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) poses a problem. The Left Party criticizes that children and teenagers are effectively just held at the KJND for weeks.
This dire situation can have severe consequences for the minors. “This risks losing young people to predatory influences, addiction, crime, or radicalization,” said Ensslen.
The situation with guardians is also problematic. In 2024, the Senate reported 25 cases of overload among guardians. “The ongoing overcrowding and overburdening is an unbearable strain for both the youths and the staff,” said Sabine Boeddinghaus, the Left Party’s family policy spokesperson.
The Senate plans to address these issues: Two guardian positions have been advertised in the Mitte district, one each in Wandsbek and Bergedorf, and a 0.75 position in Harburg. The social authority has advertised five positions, most of which received multiple applications.
