Western Germany's Immigration Detention Expansion Hits a Snag, Delayed Until 2027
Extension delays for the construction of detainee removal centers - Significant slowdown in the development of the detainee facility
Hey there! Let's dive into the latest hiccup in Pforzheim's immigration detention center expansion plans. Instead of the initially-planned completion this year, it looks like the additional 80 detention spots won't be ready until next spring. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Justice pinned the holdup on a few complications during the planning and construction phases, internal operations at the facility, and, you guessed it, underperforming contracted planning firms. By the autumn of 2023, you'll find at least 68 detention spots available.
Originally scheduled for completion way back when, this renovation project has seen its fair share of delays. The center opened its doors in 2016 with just 36 spots and added 15 more by mid-2019. Unfortunately, the total cost has ballooned from the initial 9 million euros, now estimated to reach 13 million.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the facility's occupancy rate is high and steady due to the increase in deportations in the southwest. The facility has been operating at full capacity since the start of the year, and there's no recorded information on whether any deportations have been postponed due to lack of space.
As of April 2023, there were around 23,700 individuals in Baden-Württemberg with a mandatory departure order. However, their deportation has been on pause since they cannot be sent back to certain countries, such as Syria.
By the end of May 2023, approximately 1,580 people were deported from the southwest, which is a significant jump from the 1,130 individuals who were sent back during the same period last year.
Keywords:
- Immigration Detention
- Expansion
- Pforzheim
- Immigration Detention Center
- Immigration Detention Facility
- Delay
- Ministry of Justice
- Spring
- Southwest
- Deportation
- Baden-Württemberg
- Despite the scheduled expansion of the immigration detention center in Pforzheim, facing delays until next spring, the Ministry of Justice is expecting a capacity increase by fall 2023, with at least 68 additional detention spots available.
- The ongoing delays in the completion of Pforzheim's immigration detention center expansion, initially slated for completion years ago, bring policymakers to consider the impacts on immigration policy, policy-and-legislation, general news, politics, and even crime-and-justice, given the high number of individuals in Baden-Württemberg with mandatory departure orders.
