Latest posts by Mia von Knobelsdorff (see all)
- Idir. Waiting, still - October 3, 2026
About two and a half years ago, we spoke with Idir from Algeria. You can find this
interview here. His first application for a residence permit had been denied, so Idir filed
an appeal. How has he been doing since then?
I’ve been in Germany for over three years now. Today, I’m happy to continue sharing
my story. In April 2024, my asylum application was rejected, and I did not receive a
temporary stay of deportation. The “yellow letter” arrived. From that point on, you have
seven days to file an appeal. As soon as the letter arrived, I did everything I could to
find a lawyer who could provide me with legal support and file a lawsuit on my behalf
with the administrative court against the rejection notice. In the meantime, I had ob-
tained additional evidence supporting my story and the reason for my flight. My lawyer
submitted this to the court. The temporary residence permit I’ve had since filing my
asylum application causes me to be labeled and stigmatized in many situations. I really
hope to obtain a permanent residence permit so that I can stay in Germany forever, no
longer have to fear being sent back, and am finally free.
After that, I took a German language course in Wedding. My biggest goal was to finally
get a work permit so I could find steady work and build a life for myself. Unfortunately,
my girlfriend and I, broke up after ab while. Because of that, I had to commute more
than four hours a day from my place in Bliesdorf to attend the German and integration
courses. I passed the German test and now have a B1 level. That makes me very
happy. I also took an integration test, where I learned about German history, the Basic
Law, social norms, and much more.
Applying for my work permit took about eight to twelve months. The problem is that
after you submit the application, the authorities keep requesting more and more docu-
ments. Because these aren’t always processed right away, it takes forever to get a
work permit. In my case, it was relatively quick. After I got my work permit, I found a
job in Rheinsberg through Telegram. I’ve been working there since August 2025 as a
building maintenance technician—I’m the go-to guy: Whenever problems arise, I go
there and fix them. My contract here is temporary, but when it expires, I’ll be hired
permanently.
Getting started in Rheinsberg at my new job wasn’t easy. Many people think that as a
foreigner, you’re incapable and won’t do a good job. My coworkers were very suspi-
cious of me at first. Whenever they thought I couldn’t understand them, they made fun
of me. Since they realized that I’m good at what I do, they’ve become nicer. My expe-
riences with my customers – who are often seniors – has been completely different.
They’re always very nice to me. When I come by to take a look at something or make
a repair, they offer me something to drink. Then we enjoy chatting, and I pet their pets.
Still, it’s sometimes difficult in my city. Many people see me and immediately think
negatively of me because I don’t look German. That’s why I’ve already gotten into
conflicts. In a bar, I was subjected to racist and derogatory insults. When I tried to
resolve the conflict through conversation, the police was called. At another bar, they
refused to serve me a beer. Things like this happen to me all the time in my daily life,
which is why I don’t really feel at home in Rheinsberg. Right now, I live in a shared
apartment with two women from my company, but I’d like to have my own place so I
can finally settle in and feel safe. In Berlin, no one gives me dirty looks; there, people
accept me and see me for who I am. That’s where I want to move and build a home
for myself.
I do enjoy my job in Rheinsberg, but I really want to move to Berlin, work for a big
company, and ride the tram. That’s why I’m trying to pass my B2 exam this fall so I can
apply to Deutsche Bahn again. I’m giving it my all to finally make that happen.
I’ve been waiting three years now to be able to stay in Germany permanently. It frus-
trates me a lot that the process is taking so long, because I’m constantly being told to
just wait. I’d really like to speak with the judge in person so I can tell him my story.
Often, the court decides whether you can stay or not without ever having spoken to
you. That makes me very sad. I’m also very afraid of being sent back to Algeria. That
country hasn’t been my home for a long time. “I’d rather die than go back to Algeria.” I
often dream at night that I have to go back. Then I wake up and cry. I don’t understand
why people think you leave your country just for fun. I can’t go back anymore. And I
hope they decide that I can stay here forever.
There are a lot of bureaucratic roadblocks. The biggest one is that you never get an
answer, and often something is missing. Frequently, the agencies don’t have time to
help you because so many people need assistance. Also, there often wasn’t a social
worker at my shelter. When he did come, he just wanted to speak German, and the
line was endless. I think that if you can’t manage on your own, you’ll never get a work
permit or any kind of documentation. The BAMF rejected my asylum application. After
I appealed the decision with my lawyer, the Administrative Court accepted my com-
plaint for review. The BAMF has to review everything again and respond, and it could
take a while before the court makes a decision. The immigration office says I have no
choice but to wait. It also frustrates me greatly that these three years aren’t being
counted toward my residency, despite having taken an integration course. I feel like
I’m in a kind of “administrative prison” because all I can ever do is wait.
All of this is taking a heavy toll on me. I’m afraid – afraid of being sent back to a country
where I won’t be safe. I’m also afraid of having to leave my new home. This feeling is
always with me because I’m constantly living in uncertainty.
Thanks to my language skills [Idir speaks French, English, German, Russian and Arabic], I have many keys that open doors for me. I’m very grate-
full for that. I usually understand what people say about me, what they want from me,
and I can express myself. But I think it’s a big problem that the shelters where we live
are often not near villages or cities. Because of this, we have no contact with the out-
side world or with Germans. How are you supposed to integrate if you don’t know how?
Besides, there’s nothing to do in these places while you’re waiting, for example, for a
German language course or a work permit. You sleep, you wait, you eat, and then you
sleep again. That’s why I think that as soon as you arrive in Germany, schools should
be made available where you can learn. Many people are denied this opportunity, or
the bureaucratic hurdles are often so high that you end up waiting forever – often sev-
eral months or years. Many people get lost along the way.
My biggest dream is to find a wife and have children. I would really love to have a
family to come home to in the evenings, with whom I can cook and eat. I also hope to
be able to rent my own apartment. My address is still in Bliesdorf, even though I no
longer live there. The reason is that my residence permit is temporary. I’ve looked at
apartments many times. I work a lot and have enough money to rent an apartment and
pay a security deposit. But as soon as I show landlords my temporary residence permit,
they tell me they can’t rent the apartment to me. I hope that someday I’ll be able to
build a real life for myself and stay here forever.