Prolonged Stay of Refugees in National Shelters - Fosterees Remain Housed Within National Sanctuaries for Extended Periods
In a recent development, the black-green cabinet of Schleswig-Holstein has adopted a new location concept for the initial reception of asylum seekers. This approach seeks to ease the burden on cities and municipalities by accommodating refugees in state accommodations.
Under this plan, refugees will be housed in various locations across the state, including Neumünster, Kiel, Boostedt, Seeth, Bad Segeberg, Rendsburg, and Glückstadt. Notably, Glückstadt has been designated as a reserve accommodation from August.
Currently, Schleswig-Holstein operates seven state accommodations with a total of 8,100 places, of which around half are occupied on average. Some places have already started dismantling parts of these accommodations, indicating a potential decrease in the number of refugees being accommodated in the state.
However, the government plans to convert capacities in these accommodations to create 5,850 active and around 1,700 reserve places by the end of 2027. Talks with the location municipalities of these state accommodations are already underway.
Integration State Secretary Silke Schiller-Tobies has stated that people fleeing war, persecution, hunger, and poverty must find a safe home in the state. She also mentioned that if the number of refugees increases significantly in the future, they can reactivate reserve places within a few weeks.
Municipalities are assured that they can continue to be relieved, even if the numbers increase, thanks to the reserve places. Counties with state accommodations will take in fewer refugees as a result of this new approach.
The number of new arrivals is expected to fluctuate, but the state has not announced any new locations for state accommodations beyond the current seven locations. The average occupation rate of state accommodations in Schleswig-Holstein is currently around half.
In the future, four state accommodations with around 1,000 places each and two with around 500 are planned. Asylum seekers will continue to be announced four weeks in advance, ensuring that municipalities are prepared for the influx.
The decentralized approach to accommodating asylum seekers in Schleswig-Holstein is not new. The state has been using this method to prevent overcrowding in urban areas and distribute the population more evenly. This trend is likely to continue with the new concept, with a focus on efficient distribution and integration measures to support both refugees and local communities.
[1] https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/ [2] https://www.bmi.bund.de/ [3] https://www.ndr.de/ [4] https://www.wdr.de/
- The policy-and-legislation section of local news outlets may report on the employment policy changes in Schleswig-Holstein, as the black-green cabinet has shifted its employment policy focus towards accommodating asylum seekers, with a new community policy aiming to ease the burden on cities and municipalities.
- In the realm of politics, discussions regarding the general news of Schleswig-Holstein's new location concept for asylum seekers' initial reception have sparked debates about the impact on employment policies within the state, with municipalities expected to be relieved, even with potential increases in refugee numbers, thanks to the implementation of reserve places.
