Landesrat Gantner answering questions from the people of Koblach
©Municipality of Koblach
On January 20, 2023, the information events organized by the municipality, state and Caritas with Mayor Gerd Hölzl, State Councilor Christian Gantner, and representatives of the police and Caritas took place in Koblach. First-hand information was provided on the subject of refugee accommodation.
At both well-attended dates in the former locksmith’s workshop (Letten 3) and in the former Gasthaus Sternen, a brief welcome by the mayor was followed by a general explanation of the refugee situation by the provincial government. According to the federal distribution quota, Vorarlberg has 400,000 inhabitants and 4,000 people have to be included in the basic service. For a place like Koblach with a little more than 5,000 people, that would mean accommodating 50 people. At the beginning of this week, it was agreed that the Letten 3 residential building would be occupied by families consisting of a maximum of 6-8 people on the 1st floor and a maximum of 6-8 individuals on the 2nd floor. The building also houses a Caritas office in the basement, which is staffed by two carers on weekdays. The citizens of Koblach also have a 24-hour on-call service from Caritas. Only refugee families with a maximum of 15 people are accommodated in the former Gasthaus Sternen. Both locations will be occupied in stages from April 2023.
Take concerns seriously – show facts
Provincial Councilor Gantner emphasized several times that one does not want to sugarcoat anything, but rather takes the concerns of the citizens seriously and actively informs them. Should there be incidents, this will also be followed up consistently, according to the state councilor. The commander of the Götzner police station, Bernd Feuerstein, explained that there were only two police operations in a refugee accommodation in Götzis in 2022. The two minor offenses occurred internally and did not affect the civilian population. The security coordinator of the Feldkirch district police command, Gerhard Bargetz, let it be known that the Caritas employees are very well trained in the areas of violence prevention and how to react correctly in the event of an incident. In addition, the asylum seekers must complete compulsory German and values courses.
Controversial topic – open information
All those present were able to make comments on the topic, which had been the subject of heated debate for days, and these were also taken seriously. Landesrat Gantner answered the questions asked. Together with the police and Caritas, the questions could be answered factually. The citizens’ initiative, which according to its own statements had collected more than 1,000 signatures, saw a good solution with the planned occupancy and spoke of a good understanding with the state council. Overall, the information appointments were very well received and provided first-hand information for the people of Koblach.
