I arrived in Germany in October 2005, the 5th, I think. I came for a Master in Business Administration Program named IMRE for International Management of Resources and Environment, one of the rare English taught programs of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

I was completely blind about the city of Freiberg and had just concentrated on the program. Friends living in Germany had already told me that it was going to be difficult in Freiberg, East Germany and that I was to expect discrimination, extreme cold and no job.

Despite all that I came to Freiberg and my first good surprise was the Mentor Program. I received a wonderful mentor, easy going, and very available. Today we are good friends.

About the cold and the lack of student job possibilities, I have to say that my friends were all right! It was quite tough to survive with the help of my family friends and the rare opportunities that I had as student assistant or working in the Mensa.

FREIBERG: The “POLIZEI und ICH”

After a day trip to Prague on a Sunday in May, I woke up on Monday from the noise of two police officers (two ladies) knocking on my door very early in the morning.

Here is what I can recall from our dialogue:

Knock Knock.

I was still sleeping and opened the door with shorts and no shirt.

You are the suspect, someone saw you.

Hummmm Moment. Can I put on a shirt? - Yes.

- Please come in… What is wrong? - You were seen stealing 100 Euros in a primary school last Tuesday. (Do you have black jogging pants? - This one? - Yes, it is that one! - Do you have a red sweatshirt with black stripes? - Maybe this one? - Yes, that is the one. And a bike? - No, but I occasionally use the bike of my neighbor from Cameroon. - Ok.)

What???? That is impossible. - Where were you last Tuesday, do you know? - Oh Shit! I don’t have an agenda and I don’t record my daily activities. Hummmmm, let me check

I checked the call history of VOIPSTUNT (that I was using for making calls).

I remember that I had placed several calls from my pc to the studentenwerk to make an appointment for the room keys for a new student. ( I did that as Mentor Program coordinator.)… and I went to the MedienZentrum to check if they had printed the Studentbrochure … I met Agniezka (who was sharing the IUZ student office with me)… So I can tell you that it is impossible that someone saw me somewhere.

Well, we are just here to tell you that there is something going on against you. If you confess, we can forget about it, you will not have any problem (the good cop)

Hhummm. - If you don’t confess, we will call the Immigration (Ausländerbehörde) and you will lose your status and we will send you back to your country (the bad cop).

Wait a minute! I like my country and I am not afraid to go back home. Besides, I am here for studies. I am a mechanical engineer and currently doing an MBA. I think you have the wrong person! How did you get my address by the way?

We asked for it at the Ausländerbehörde! - Impossible. - Well, it doesn’t matter, we can only discuss the whole case at the police station!

Ok, do I have to come with you then? - No not now, we just wanted to inform you of the situation and to know if you have something to confess (the good cop again). We will give you another chance to confess (the bad cop). Well, I know that it is tough financially to live and study here and we can understand your situation. I hope that you will not have troubles and if you confess now, the problem will be solved.

There is nothing to confess. You don’t confess what you didn’t do. Besides, look around in the room (new laptop, shoes, expensive watch, jackets, shirts, books etc.). Do you think that I pay all this and finance my studies by stealing in primary schools (100 EUros)????? This must be a joke. Please write down your name and phone number here so I can check if you are really from the Polizei!

Well, as you wish. Good, we will go now; stay available on your mobile phone and you will receive an invitation to come to the police office. - No problem!

It all took about 30 minutes, trying to get me to confess and it did not work! And all in German!

The next day, on the way to shopping with my Brazilian friend Leo, I was stopped by two other officers to be checked. Of course, they just checked me alone and not Leo. I was furious about that but the police officer told me that they were looking for a suspect who looked like me. - What for? - I don’t know.

I immediately informed our program staff in the university and my teacher of International Law. I was lucky because he talk to a friend of him who accepted to look at the case to help me. The only way to get to know all the details of the case was through a lawyer.

What happened next is that I was invited to the police office to have a picture taken to be compared with other suspects. The results of the comparison probably lead to the conclusion that I was the one guilty in the eyes of police.

I was then charged and a case was opened in Freiberg against me for stealing 100 Euros. Finally, these charges against me were dropped by the judge handling the case.

IMPORTANT was that I was never asked if I had an alibi, where I was the day the money was stolen etc. I had fortunately the proof of what I had done that day. But I was never ever asked.

SHOCKING: After receiving the full case file, I was astonished to realize that the police got my address from an employee of the “Studentenwerk” who mentioned that I was having problems to pay my rent every month on time.

I was very frustrated and angry! Not at the police but at people handling the case! The officers not using their judgment to say, “No, it cannot be him.” Angry about the Studentenwerk and whoever was involved in the university! A few months prior to my case, some foreign students were attacked and we read a mail on it from their professor in the mailing list of the university. That was all about it! I don’t know what happened!

The IUZ that is supposed to support us foreign students gave me to the police! Strange. They did not mention to the police that I was a member of AKAS (Arbeitskreis Ausländische Studierende); that I worked and was working for them at that period and that I had the keys of their office!

I say IUZ because I do not know the name of the person who gave my name and address to the police. It can only be someone who had that information! And who knew that I had asked for a loan at the Studentenwerk and that it had been refused (without a reason).

I believed that the police officer refused to apply any judgment in that case. I felt disrespected and insulted when they tried to get me to confess stealing 100 Euros. Same feeling towards the university through IUZ that never contacted me to ask me what was going on before giving my address to the police or to know what happened. Same conduct towards the students that had been attacked.

There is no such thing as a system corrupted, discriminating etc. It comes down to individuals behaving “strangely” and using the system as an excuse or cover!!!

PS: Contrary to my expectations, I made more friends in Freiberg in two years than in Eindhoven (The Netherlands a perceived “liberal country”) in five years. I value my stay in Freiberg pretty much! And I would say I am glad I went there and I am proud of what I could achieve there, thanks to the IMRE program for which I went there, my teacher of International Law, the MOV(i)E IT! family, the Fantastic 4 and you reading this article.