Purpose:
An App to help refugees organising their everyday lives in Germany - Helps overcoming the language barrier - Provides information regarding asylum law
Stimulus/Rationale:
A considerable number of refugees coming to Germany are overwhelmed by the foreign culture, unable to cope with the resident administrative systems and paralysed because of the language barrier. A lot of these people are in possession of a smartphone. This is why the city of Erlangen decided to develop an app for android, iOS and Windows devices in 2016.
Process:
This application offers information about common tradition and the way of life in Erlangen and Germany, as well as facts regarding asylum law and where to get advice of any kind. Telephone numbers and addresses are also listed, such as emergency numbers and contacts of the municipal office.
The app was promoted by flyer and was available in six languages: German, English, French, Farsi, Arab and Russian. In case of no internet access, the application works additionally offline.
The app had been downloaded almost 2 400 times by the end of March 2017.
As of 2023, the Welcome App is a feature of 25 cities and regions in Germany, including Erlangen, and had been translated into sixteen languages.
Key reference documents: The Welcome App website
