In order to relieve the municipalities of accommodating refugees, Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) now wants to build residential containers for 1,500 people in the initial reception centers in Eisenhüttenstadt, Frankfurt (Oder) and Wünsdorf. This was announced by the Potsdam Ministry of the Interior on Friday.
“A short-term expansion of the accommodation capacities must be implemented at the three existing main locations of the initial reception facility,” said Stübgen. Only there is a rapid expansion of operations possible at all due to existing service contracts. “And a rapid expansion is the only viable way to quickly relieve the municipalities of refugee accommodation.”
Kenya coalition argues about accommodation
There has long been a dispute in the Brandenburg Kenya coalition about the accommodation of people with little prospect of staying. The CDU had called for its own state facility to accommodate these people. With the coalition partners, however, she bit on granite. As a compromise, it was agreed to create 3,000 new places in the initial reception facilities. In addition to the announcement of the container accommodation, Stübgen had to admit on Friday that the remaining 1,500 spaces would not be available until the end of the year: there was no suitable location for this.
What the interior minister announced today is not a concept, and above all it is nothing new.
Petra Budkeleader of the Greens parliamentary group in the Brandenburg state parliament
“Now the Minister of the Interior is selling the creation of 1,500 places in the initial reception facilities as a success,” said Left-wing MP Andrea Johlige on Friday. “The fact that he, of all people, drove the initial reception facility in Doberlug-Kirchhain, which had been working well for years, against the wall with 1,090 places and that it will be closed on June 30, 2023, is something he does not mention.” accommodated. “However, we are a long way from the promised 3,000 additional places in the initial reception.”
criticism from all sides
And that’s not just the opinion of the opposition left. Rather, even Stübgen’s coalition partner sees it this way: “Now it’s taking revenge that Interior Minister Stübgen gave up the initial reception places in Doberlug-Kirchhain without need and did not make sufficient financial provision in the Brandenburg package,” said Green Party leader Petra Budke on Friday on request . “What the Minister of the Interior announced today is not a concept, and above all it is nothing new.” “The model project for changing lanes and measures such as the targeted accommodation of families in apartments ensure a fundamental change in the situation and promote integration.”
With this, Budke alludes to a project whose feasibility is currently being examined in the Potsdam Ministry of Integration: The point is whether, in cooperation with the municipalities, accommodation options for refugees with little prospect of staying could be created in order to provide these people with training and placement in the to get a right to stay in the labor market after all.
In terms of integration policy, such a model project brings many opportunities and advantages and can relieve local authorities in the medium term.
Gabriel Hessespokesman in the Potsdam Ministry of Integration
As press spokesman Gabriel Hesse told this newspaper, discussions are being held with a number of municipalities. “In terms of integration policy, such a model project brings many opportunities and advantages and can relieve local authorities in the medium term,” says Hesse. “If we succeed in getting people into work and training, the opportunity for an independent life outside of communal communal accommodation will be opened up.” This would also improve acceptance of the accommodation of refugees.
At the same time, there is growing pressure from the municipalities in the country, which are finding it difficult to accommodate and look after the refugees who have been redistributed by the country. A refugee summit by counties, urban districts and the state cabinet failed spectacularly a few weeks ago. At least to the city of Frankfurt (Oder), but probably also to the two other municipalities affected by the container construction, Stübgen has now apparently made great promises.
In any case, the mayor of Frankfurt (Oder), René Wilke (left), told this newspaper that the minister had assured him that the number of additional refugees accommodated in the initial reception would be counted towards the number of refugees distributed to Frankfurt. Of course, there was no mention of this in the ministry’s press release on Friday. “I hope that the promise that the admission target will be offset against the initial admission will be kept,” said Wilke.
