Churches as safe havens: How communities protect refugees from deportation | DW Documentary

DW Documentary · 27:26

14,799 views · 259 likes · May 31, 2026

For more than 40 years, German churches have been offering refugees church asylum. But this is not a legal right. And the practice is increasingly being called into question by German authorities.

As the country’s previously welcoming refugee policy undergoes major change, the state's tolerance for church asylum is waning.

Anja is someone who has felt this shift. A pastor in a free church, she …

For more than 40 years, German churches have been offering refugees church asylum. But this is not a legal right. And the practice is increasingly being called into question by German authorities.

As the country’s previously welcoming refugee policy undergoes major change, the state's tolerance for church asylum is waning.

Anja is someone who has felt this shift. A pastor in a free church, she …

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