Germany has created a smartphone app that aims to provide basic info and German language and customs to the thousands of migrants and refugees streaming in from Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and other war-torn countries.
"Ankommen," meaning "arrive" or "come across," is free on the Google Play Store, and an iOS version should be coming soon. It's available in English, Arabic, Farsi, French and German, and provides a number of basic services for people who might not be familiar with the country or its language.
Basic lessons in German and German culture are provided, and info on the various offices of the government with which migrants refugees will have to interact. The country's Federal Employment Agency provides ways to find training and work, and there are daily updates if the user has an Internet connection with new readings and offers.
As many as a million refugees and migrants entered Germany in 2015, and the stream isn't stopping; the country has budgeted billions for infrastructure, services, and smaller things like the Ankommen app.
