accommodation of refugees
City day calls for “final results by Easter”
02/22/2023, 2:48 p.m
The German Association of Cities is demanding greater financial support from the federal government for the reception and accommodation of refugees. “Increasing numbers of refugees must be followed by increasing financial resources,” says City Day President Markus Lewe in an interview with ntv.de. In his view, the result of the refugee summit with Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser last week is inadequate. Many cities are at the limit when it comes to housing refugees. “Even in tents, container villages and exhibition halls there are hardly any free spaces.”
ntv.de: From your point of view, how willing is the federal government to relieve the local authorities more financially when accommodating refugees?
Markus Lewe: That remains to be seen. We had already hoped for concrete commitments at the refugee summit last week. Unfortunately they didn’t happen. However, we already know that the promised funds of 1.5 billion euros for the refugees from Ukraine and the continuation of the general refugee-related lump sum of 1.25 billion euros for this year will not be enough. Increasing numbers of refugees must be followed by increasing financial resources. The cities urgently need financial commitments from the federal government for 2023 and a perspective on how things will continue in 2024.
If the refugee summit didn’t bring any planning security – how should things go from now on?
At the summit, there was an agreement for a work process by the federal, state and local authorities until Easter. That gives us hope. As a city council, we will work intensively in the agreed working groups on the topics of accommodation, integration, relief for the immigration and social authorities and on questions of repatriation and limiting immigration. But the crucial question is and remains how all this will be financed. There must finally be concrete results by Easter. The cities have practically no influence on how many refugees come to us. Nevertheless, we have been doing extraordinary things for months to provide good accommodation for people who have fled from war and crises. For this task for society as a whole, we also need the appropriate support – and as quickly as possible.
Why don’t you also address your demand for more support to the federal states?
This is what we do. Financial support from the federal government is one thing. However, the federal states must also pass on these federal funds in full to the municipalities and make their own contribution. We are, of course, prepared to fulfill our humanitarian obligation to the best of our ability. However, many cities are at the limit when it comes to housing refugees. Even in tents, container villages and exhibition halls there are hardly any free spaces. The federal states must therefore significantly expand their reception capacities and also maintain them permanently. That would really relieve the cities and give us time.
Is it just about financial help or do the municipalities have other demands on the federal government?
Of course we have. Cities will not be able to conjure up new areas or buildings for accommodating refugees out of hats with money alone. The federal government must also be more involved here than it has been in the past. He should build up his own accommodation capacities as a buffer. At the refugee summit, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that she would prepare federal properties for accommodation at her own expense. That is a beginning.
Does the practice of taking in refugees have to be changed?
We need to be better able to anticipate how many refugees will come to us. To do this, we need information that is as concrete as possible about refugee movements. At the refugee summit, the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced a digital dashboard that shows the current situation in order to enable better distribution of the refugees. I welcome this step.
How is your city? How much money did Münster have to spend last year for the accommodation and integration of refugees and asylum seekers?
The expenses for the year have not yet been fully settled. However, including the cost of living, it will be almost 24.5 million euros that we have spent. Only a good 70 percent of this can be covered by the corresponding state allocations under the Refugee Admissions Act.
Is this sum too much for Münster, which is actually rich?
This sum alone will not overwhelm the city of Münster. However, we still have a lot more work to do to ensure successful integration. The children of the families that come to us have to be integrated into day-care centers and schools, which is increasingly pushing us to our limits. In addition to the money, there is a lack of daycare places, space in school classes and specialists who can do the care work. The range of language courses is also increasingly insufficient to meet demand. This can be extended to other areas of society.
How many Ukrainians are currently in Münster? Did gymnasiums have to be turned into lodgings?
A total of 3,347 Ukrainians are currently registered in Münster with a request for protection. In Münster, we were fortunate to be able to use government real estate to a large extent. Therefore, gymnasiums only had to be used for a short period of time. However, the plans for using it again are already on the drawing board should developments intensify again.
What about the acceptance of refugees in Münster?
There is still a great deal of cohesion in the entire city society. Authorities, churches, associations, independent sponsors and a lot of voluntary work pull together to successfully master the tasks. This diverse civil society commitment is deeply impressive, but it also needs to be appreciated and supported by the federal and state governments. We must all do our part to ensure that this willingness to support is not jeopardized.
Hubertus Volmer spoke to Markus Lewe