Flexible Housing Policy in Cham County Adjusted Amid Decreasing Asylum Numbers
Former Thamer Brewery Transforms into Refugee Shelter for Displaced Ukrainians in Rötz
It's a change of pace in Cham County, as of June 4, a building previously known as Gasthof Thamer-Brau in Rötz now houses 13 Ukrainian individuals, including nine kids. After completing necessary renovations, the county administration is finally ready to move them in.
According to County Administrator Franz Löffler, the drop in asylum seeker numbers allows for some flexibility in their housing structure. "We're not cramped anymore, and we don't have to fully occupy every accommodation. This change is mainly thanks to robust border controls," he asserts confidently.
Asylum Seeker Numbers Plummet in Bavaria
The decision to welcome Ukrainian refugees in Rötz is part of an overall plan to alleviate the housing situation in Cham County. Datas from Bavaria's Ministry of the Interior show a staggering 50% decline in asylum seeker registrations during the first quarter of 2025, with only around 3,570 individuals compared to 7,573 in the same period last year.
The trend is also visible in Cham County, where people with refugee backgrounds (excluding Ukraine) have stabilized around 1,900. In 2015, this number was 1,500, 2022 saw about 1,800, and during peak times in 2024, it reached approximately 2,300. This total includes asylum seekers, subsidiary protection holders, family reunions, and current and rejected applicants, regardless of their arrival year.
Ukrainian asylum seekers' numbers have modestly increased since the 2022 Russian invasion, from around 1,100 to the current 1,350 people in Cham County.
Decentralized Care for Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers are housed in both government-owned communal accommodations and decentralized accommodations across various municipalities in the county. The county administration aims to spread these accommodations evenly among the county's cities.
Though 410 refugees and 137 Ukrainian asylum seekers were still in decentralized accommodations at the beginning of the year, this number has decreased to 354 and 90 people respectively, signifying a drop of around 100 individuals.
This decline allows the county administration to optimize the usage of accommodations, decrease costs, and enhance care quality, all while ensuring safety margins for potential international developments.
The decrease in asylum seeker numbers across Bavaria, as indicated by the Bavaria's Ministry of the Interior, has led to a more flexible housing policy for such individuals. This flexibility is evident in Cham County, as the county administration is now able to alleviate the housing situation by accommodating Ukrainian refugees in decentralized care facilities, such as the former Gasthof Thamer-Brau in Rötz.
The shift in migration politics, partly due to robust border controls, has enabled the county administration to optimize the usage of accommodations, decrease costs, and enhance care quality, all while ensuring safety margins for potential international developments.
