The county administration of Herford is for nearly five decades active in the development of amicable relations with European towns and regions and maintains this besides partnership meetings also by regular multilateral European youth weeks. The subject of this year’s 24th event that was organized the time of 12.10.2015 to 18.10.2015 in Gut Bustedt, Hiddenhausen (district of Herford), was a more and more important growing aspect of the whole-European duties, namely „refugees in Europe “. 30 young people from five nations were invited in the age of approx. 16 to 18 years as well as their accompanying person. The participants came from the twin cities of the organizing partner: Voiron (France), Gorzów (Poland), Bassano del Grappa (Italy), Sibenik (Croatia) and from a youth centre (open youth employment) in Kirchlengern, district of Herford. The participants thought about the questions what made people to leave their home country, family and friends. What caused just young men to start the escape and what happened with the women and members of the family who stayed at home? It was investigated how the refugees live and feel in Europe, which hopes, chances and perspectives they have and what the taking up countries, the people, the policy do for them and can do in future. Each participating group has presented the current situation in the home country. So they had the comparison from these five countries and were able to determine the differences within the European Union. A multipart “simulation game” asylum moved the participants into this role of a refugee to be able to feel in which absolutely new situation (linguistically, culturally, socially) humans are on the run. The young people experienced the first steps of registration and the request for asylum in the position of refugees. They realized a feeling of uncertainty, confusion and latencies and reacted completely differently to it. We had discussions, meetings and talks from and with relief organizations, politicians (for example MdEP Elmar Brok), representatives from science and management. Affected persons got a chance to speak, reported about their expectations and fears and gave insight into their actual situation. The personal descriptions of the present refugees were particularly moving. Particularly beautifully was the direct contact and following development of first friendships, e.g. by the invitation to an evening event of our project. We also looked at the topic while we organized excursions, we had a look at the social aspects and saw and learned a lot from the direct help and working with refugees done by private groups in the towns. The visit of a clearinghouse (for unaccompanied refugees younger than 18) showed the special need of protectioness of this group and for the participants an insight of the everyday life. This has sensitized the participants for the situation of peers. The participants had the opportunity to deal intensively with the common European future and to compile attempts of solution. By the direct meeting with peers from other European countries common characteristics were discovered and stressed as well as prejudices reduced.The common work in multilateral groups in a foreign language promoted social learning and a lot of different competences, strengthened the personality development and empathy ability. All together the participants experienced a detailed consciousness to be young European citizens and back in their home countries they campaigned actively for understanding and cooperation in Europe. They transported the results of this European youth week as a valuable positive experience in their home countries and advertised strengthened in their personality development to farther projects with new participants within the scope of the Erasmus+Programms. Some of the youngsters did spontaneously talk about their new interest to engage locally to the project topic. Others were brave and have reported that they have now overcome their skepticism and look open minded beyond national borders. The participants hope for continuation of this project with a following and developing topic.