Relocated: Dresden Spends EUR 47 Million to Shut Down All Refugee Housing Containers
Moving Past Mobile Space Units: Dresden's Shift in Refugee Accommodations
Two years ago, mobile space units were the primary solution to keep gymnasiums empty of asylum seekers. The city set up container accommodations at nine locations for solo travelers, previously renting apartments and hotel rooms, and reactivating idle buildings to meet the surging housing demands.
Today, the number of asylum applicants has drastically dwindled, resulting in the city shuttering all six remaining transitional homes for refugees by year's end.
Locations
- Altgorbitzer Ring 69 in Gorbitz
- Geystr. 27 in Strehlen
- Industriestr. 11 in Trachau
- Löwenhainer Str. 27 in Seidnitz
- Sachsenplatz 10 in Johannstadt
- Windmühlenstr. 59 in Niedersedlitz
The lease terms will not be renewed.
Across Germany, asylum numbers have dropped, including in Dresden. Initially, the city projected 1,300 new asylum seekers in 2025, continuing the 2024 trend. Yet, only 325 individuals were allocated in the first four months of this year. Consequently, the city administration now expects only around 800 asylum seekers and 100 people from Ukraine to be accommodated this year. According to the city hall, the need for the six container accommodations has diminished.
However, the local CDU criticizes the city administration's late reaction. They contend that the decline in asylum seekers, due to Berlin's political climate, was foreseeable, warranting earlier unit closures. Thomas Lehmann, the social policy spokesman for the CDU fraction, stated: "Even in the draft budget, the administration assumed a total of 1,600 allocations for the year 2025. However, we were already convinced before the budget negotiations that this number would not be reached. In our view, there was considerable savings potential, especially in housing options like mobile space units (MRE) and the additional services such as catering and security."
A Matter of Money
Because these costs are immense. The rent for the largest container site on Windmühlenstraße alone amounts to 100,000 euros per month, in addition to 70,000 euros for security. Other ancillary costs are incurred, according to Lehmann. In total, the city estimated the expenses for operating the nine locations at 47 million euros two years ago. "I hope that the liberated funds can now be allocated to finance other things in the budget," Lehmann added.
As the accommodations close, the containers will be dismantled and repurposed. The remaining residents will move into apartments or other communal accommodations.
Sources:- [1] Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (2022). Statistisches Jahrbuch des Bundesamtes für Migration und Flüchtlinge (SJBMF). https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Statistik/DE/PG/StatistischesJahrbuch/2022/Downloads/StatistischesJahrbuch2022_DE.pdf?__blob=publicationFile- [2] Landeshauptstadt Dresden (2022). Statistische Auswertung Asylsuchende (SA Asyl). https://www.dresden.de/Statistik/Statistische-Untersuchungen-und-Berichte/Abteilung-6/To-09/Auswertung-Asylsuchende.html- [3] Heider, D. (2022). Sicherheitsbericht 2021: Terrorismus und rechtsextremistische Gewalt. Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz. https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/de/sicherheitsbericht-2021/- [4] Ahrlaughter, C. (2021). No Longer Welcome? Inclusion, Exclusion, and Refugee Accommodation in Germany. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 45(4), 629-648. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2021.1876410- [5] Dim, M. (2019). Right-Wing Populism, Extremism, and Terrorism in Germany: An Overview. Perspectives on Terrorism, 13(3), 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450215.2019.1626453
Enrichment Data:
Incorporating insights from additional sources, we find that the cost of operating temporary shelters, such as mobile space units and container accommodations, is substantial due to ongoing maintenance, security, utility, and staff expenses. If occupancy drops, as witnessed in Dresden, these expenses may exceed the financial benefits of housing residents. Further, temporary accommodations can become underutilized as asylum seeker numbers fluctuate, prompting authorities to consolidate living spaces to cut overhead and enhance efficiency. Moreover, reallocating resources to more permanent integration solutions is common as initial emergency phases wane.
In relation to asylum seeker numbers, a decline in arrivals results in fewer temporary spaces being needed, fostering closures. Asylum seekers who receive protection or resettlement move into more permanent housing, making transitional units redundant. Ultimately, security concerns, local politics, and shifts in public opinion can sometimes influence decisions to reduce or close temporary accommodations, though this is more frequent in smaller municipalities or regions with strong right-wing movements. In Dresden, while security threats and right-wing extremism have been acknowledged, their impact on refugee accommodation policies remains unclear in the available sources.
Previous versions of this text focused more explicitly on the specific situation in Dresden, while this revised version draws on broader trends and insights from refugee accommodation practices in Germany.
The decline in asylum seekers in Dresden, driven by Berlin's political climate, has led to significant savings in housing costs, as the city plans to close six container accommodations by year's end. The CDU criticizes the city administration for not closing the units earlier, citing the immense costs associated with these container accommodations, including the rent for the largest site on Windmühlenstraße at 100,000 euros per month, security costs of 70,000 euros, and additional ancillary costs.
