For Lietuvos Rytas A job? No, I dont need any! Toms Anctis in Germany Back to Lithuania? No way!

Theres nothin to !o there" nothin at a##$ Li%e in Germany is tota##y !i%%erent" says &estutis" a man in his ear#y %orties" !resse! in a #i ht'co#oure! winter (acket an! white out!ate! s)orts shoes$ Thou h his eyes are surroun!e! *y !ee) !ark rin s an! some o% his *#ackene! teeth are missin " his short *a#!in hair is ma!e smooth with hair e#" which makes him #ook *i+arre$ ,e have our ta#k at the entrance o% the Ber#in -oo" ne.t to a home#ess mission where &estutis has (ust ha! a tasty mea#$ Now" to ether with three other mission c#ients / two Latvians an! a 0o#e" a## #ivin on Ber#in streets '" he has sat !own to re#a." ri ht on the )avement$ ,ou#! you #ike some vo!ka? &estutis )asses me a *ott#e$ 1e can a%%or! to o%%er a !rink even to stran ers" as it !i!n2t cost him a cent$ 1e wou#! )ay %or a#coho# on#y in e.ce)tiona# cases" when too #a+y to make an e%%ort$ Look" it3s !one this way" very easi#y" he takes a two euro coin an! makes some scratches on the *ott#e *arco!e$ Now" you can take it out o% the sho) sa%e#y" nothin wi## *ee)" he e.)#ains$ Germans are rea##y o!!" they !on2t seem to care much a*out anythin $ 4n Lithuania" it wou#! *e tota##y !i%%erent" &estutis #au hs$ 4% 4 nee! money an! !on2t wanna o )ickin u) *ott#es o%% the streets" we wa#k into a sho)" take some *ott#es o% minera# water" )our them out ri ht ne.t to the *ott#e'return machine an! )ut them in" ettin 56 cents )er each$ 1e %in!s it easy to stea# T7 sets" too$ They have a## oo!s insure!$ 4% they catch you" they## #et you o soon anyway$ 4t is *etter not to o into Turkish or Russian sho)s" thou h" as nothin is insure! there$ 4% you et cau ht" they## )unch you ri ht away without carin too much$ 8n the other si!e o% the station" some hun!re! meters away %rom the )#ace &estutis is sittin " one can see numerous tourists takin a stro## throu h the s)rin y city$ 9et" har!#y any o% them ever ha))ens to et here" to the *acksi!e o% the station" where it sme##s o% urine" ci arette *utts scattere! across the street$ 4t was !i%%erent %or &estutis" as it was one o% the %irst )#aces he visite! short a%ter his arriva# in Ber#in a*out ha#% a year a o$ Now" he s)en!s a## his time here" havin %ree #unches an! !inners" !rinkin or sim)#y #yin in the sun$ 4ve *een stayin in Germany %or$$$ 4 even cant remem*er %or how many years" he tries to count *ut to no avai#$ Be%ore sett#in !own in the ca)ita#" he use! to #ive in !i%%erent German cities" Frank%urt am :ain his %avourite$ ,here e.act#y? Between the earth an! the sky" he says$ No plan of coming back 42ve s)ent some time in )rison" as we##$ German )risons are rea##y oo!$ Guess what" they2re )ayin you (ust *ecause you2re in (ai#" ;6 euros a month! &estutis e.c#aims$ ,hen outsi!e o% )rison" he wou#! har!#y ever s)en! a ni ht on the street$ 4! rather o to a home#ess mission$ 8ne can a#ways %in! a %ree )#ace there$ Aske! how #on he is oin to stay in Ber#in" he shru s his shou#!ers$ Now 1annover is ettin )o)u#ar" many o% us o there$ <on2t know what2s so very s)ecia# a*out it *ut have hear! one can !o we## there$ 1avin come %rom a sma## vi##a e near &aunas" he has no !esire to ever o *ack$ 4% it were a city" it wou#! *e !i%%erent" *ut there2s a*so#ute#y nothin to !o in this derevnya =vi##a e" Russian / T$A$>$ There is no one #e%t who to return to" either" as his ran!)arents an! mother have )asse! away" his %rien!s !isa))eare!" an! the !au hter %rom his %irst marria e is stu!yin in ?t$ 0eters*ur $ <o you kee) in touch with her? 4 ask$ 9es" 4 ca## her sometimes" he answers re#uctant#y$

&estutis can har!#y e.)#ain the reasons ur in him to move to Germany some years a o$ 8ne can uess that the turnin )oint was his !ivorce to his secon! wi%e" him #eavin *ehin! not (ust her *ut Lithuania" as we##$ 1is #i%e *ack home ha!nt *een reat" either" an! it a))ears he has never ha! a )ro)er (o*$ ,hatre you ta#kin a*out? 4 have no (o*" 4m a thie%! he says" seemin #y )rou! o% himse#%$ 4n Lithuania" he was !oin the same" not *ein home#ess" thou h" an! so %ar has no wish to ever #ook %or work$ 42m not intereste! at a##$ ,hy shou#! 4 nee! it? he won!ers$ &estutis2 story is @uite an unusua# one" thou h$ ,hen ta#kin a*out their arriva# in Ber#in" most Aastern Auro)ean home#ess )eo)#e )re%er to te## somethin touchin $ Like" %or instance" a Lithuanian ca##e! <arius" a *#on!'haire! man in his ear#y %orties with a #ar e *a over his shou#!er" with whom we have a ta#k whi#e he is stan!in in a @ueue at a home#ess mission" waitin %or a mea#$ Last year" he came to work in Ber#in as a *ui#!er *ut his em)#oyers cheate! on him" #eavin on the street with no money$ Better not to have any *usiness with Russians or Russian's)eakin )eo)#e$ 9ou wi## !o your (o* an! wont et )ai!$ Now" 4m !oin #ike thatB ettin a (o* %or a short time" then #ose it an! #ive on the street a ain$ Be%ore that" he was workin in NorwayC it was then when an ac@uaintance o% his invite! him to come over to Germany$ 4 re ret it so much$ Now" 4## try to %in! a short'time (o* here %or the #ast time an! o *ack to Lithuania as soon as 4 et the %irst insta#ment$ ,i## %in! the *astar!s who tricke! me into comin here an! )unch them" he says an ri#y$ A)art %rom that" however" he seems @uite cheer%u#$ Ber#in is a nice city" he thinks" as one can s#ee) an! eat here %or %ree$ Mental disorders The hea! o% the ?tation mission =Bahnho%smission> <ieter 0uh# #istens to this kin! o% stories every !ay$ 1e has #earne! to 3!eco!e what home#ess )eo)#e are sayin an! et to the truth$ Avery home#ess )erson sooner or #ater makes u) a story which he#)s him survive" he e.)#ains$ A)art %rom cheate! em)#oyees" many o% those comin here every !ay c#aim to *e %ormer hi h'rankin chie%s or owners o% #ar e com)anies$ Accor!in to 0uh#" u) to DE )er cent o% the :issions c#ients su%%er %rom menta# con!itions" many as chi#!ren went throu h )hysica# an! se.ua# a*use$ These )ro*#ems are o%ten accom)anie! with a#coho# an! !ru a*use$ 8% those DEE )eo)#e" who we serve a !ay" there is har!#y anyone %it to work" thou h they are te##in us the o))osite$ ,ere ta#kin a*out )eo)#e who !rink three *ott#es o% vo!ka or ei ht #itres o% mu##e! wine a !ayF Salmon and ice cream To un!erstan! why neither <arius" nor &estutis wants to o *ack to Lithuania" it is worth visitin the ?char#otten*ur ni ht she#ter" one o% the #ar est in Ber#in$ ,hi#e its hea! Gur en :ark is #ea!in me throu h the corri!ors o% the *ui#!in " showin me !ou*#e rooms" rooms %or si. an! even a sin #e room %or !isa*#e! c#ients" 4 think o% a mi!!#e'c#ass hoste#$ :ark notesB theres har!#y any hoste# where one cou#! have sa#mon an! ice'cream %or %ree$ 8ne cannot stay here #on 'term" thou h$ ?ince the o)enin o% the German (o* market in :ay #ast year" the num*er o% she#ter' seekers went u) shar)#y$ Last year" the she#ter serve! DEEE c#ients" one thir! o% them *ein non'Germans$ The to) seven countries they came %rom wereB 0o#an! =HIJ )ersons>" Rumania =5H5>" Bu# aria =K;L>" Lithuania =K5L>" Latvia =K5D>" ?#ovakia =IH>" an! Astonia =IK>$ The Ba#tic ?tates are #ar e#y re)resente!" an! the newcomers most#y are #ow'e!ucate! men in their HEs who !ont s)eak a wor! in German" :ark continues$ They come to the German ca)ita# with i##usive ho)es o% %in!in a (o*

strai ht away *ut en! u) on the street$ The unem)#oyment rate in Ber#in #ast year reache! K;$; M" an! %in!in a (o* without any comman! o% German is very )ro*#ematic$ ?ur)risin #y" many newcomers !eci!e to stay here in s)ite o% that$ Dying on the streets Thou h &estutis )re%ers to avoi! this to)ic" one can %ee# that it *others him" too$ As he #eans his *ack a ainst the wa## an! *en!s his knee" his (eans ri!e u) e.)osin his #e s / swo##en an! *#uish" seemin #y %rost*itten$ 8ne #e u#cerates" an! &estutis has wra))e! it in a *an!a e$ Aastern Auro)ean home#ess )eo)#e %ace much reater risk %or hea#th as Germans" as they have no )rivate sickness insurance an! thus are e#i i*#e on#y %or #imite! me!ica# assistance$ Nnsur)risin #y" many o% them are !yin on Ber#in streets$ Avery %ew months" the ?tation mission arran es co##ective %unera#s o% home#ess )eo)#e$ A%ter the *uria# in a Ber#in Neuklln area cemetery" a %ew uests" most#y sta%% o% the :ission" come to ether in the :issions !inin 'room / in a )#ace which those )asse! away cou#! ca## home$ <ieter 0uh# %irst hesitates to answer" how many o% his c#ients come %rom Aastern Auro)e$ At the en!" he revea#s the num*er / u) to LEM" since the socia# system in Germany can har!#y #et its citi+ens en! u) on the street$ 1owever" 0uh# wou#! never te## the rea# num*ers to German (ourna#ists" as the :ission wou#! risk !onation an! *u! etary su))ort cuts" which wou#! )ut #ives o% Aastern Auro)ean newcomers at risk$ oing !nderco"er Aarnin more than those em)#oye! 8ne o% the #e a# means how home#ess can make a #ivin in Germany is se##in so' ca##e! street news)a)ers" which re)ort on issues #ike home#essness an! )overty$ Thou h the ven!ors et ha#% o% the )rice" home#ess %rom the Ba#tic ?tates !o it se#!om$ As <arius )uts it" one has to s)eak some German" an! 4! *etter o )ickin *ott#es o%% the street" earnin K6'5E euros a !ay$ 4t is more )ro%ita*#e to se## street )a)ers in 1am*ur " which is more economica##y !eve#o)e! as Ber#in$ To check %irst'han! how it works" 4 )reten! *ein home#ess an! o to 1am*ur streets to ether with an e.)erience! Latvian ca##e! Ritvars$ 8n Ohristmas !ay" the most )ro%ita*#e !ay o% the year" he earne! 5HE euros" he says$ As 4 stan! at the entrance o% Aldi su)ermarket" a )acka e o% news)a)ers in my han!s" its har! not to %ee# ashame!$ 4t seems that every )ass*yer is starin at me" thinkin " ?uch a youn man is co##ectin a#ms instea! o% #ookin %or work$ Ritvars tries to cheer me u)B 4t is as oo! as any other (o*$ 8nce you start %ee#in the taste o% money" you et e.cite!$ 1e a!mits" however" that wou#! never !o this in Latvia$ 4n Germany" it is !i%%erent$ No*o!y knows you here" an! the home#ess are treate! with !i nity$ 4 et my %irst )ayment in K6 minutes" as a )ass*yer !ro)s a two'euro coin into my )a#m" re%usin to take the )a)er$ 1is %o##owers !o the same" an! my %ee#in o% shame ra!ua##y !isa))ears$ ,ith no e%%ort" har!#y sayin a wor!" 4 et more an! more money" an! soon %in! myse#% won!erin how enerous the ne.t su))orter wi## *e$ 8ne hour an! K6 minutes a%ter" 4 !eci!e to o away" havin 5L euro in my )ocket$