Refugee accommodation in Gunzesried saw: fear and resistance grow!

Refugee accommodation in Gunzesried saw: fear and resistance grow!

In the small settlement of Gunzesried saw in the Oberallgäu, the debate about the planned accommodation of up to 45 refugees has flared up in a former school campus. The approximately 79 inhabitants in their village are currently struggling with concerns because the infrastructure in the region is considered poor. Ute Jungmann, co-initiator of a mass petition against refugee accommodation, points out the already precarious situation: Gunzesried saw can only be reached via a narrow, winding road that is often problematic in winter. For the residents, the next larger community of Blaichach is about 8 kilometers away, while Sonthofen is about 10 kilometers away. In addition, there is no shopping in the village and no medical care, which could tighten the isolation of the refugees.

The district office in Oberallgäu rented the Heubethof in March to dissolve expensive emergency accommodations. 1900 refugees currently live in this district, and 900 Ukrainians are also privately housed. The scheduled location for the refugee families aroused concerns among the residents who have collected almost 700 signatures against the accommodation. The mayor of Blaichach, Christof Endreß, and the local council support this petition, which is directed against the use of the Heubethof for accommodation.

concerns and resistance

The planned accommodation in Gunzesried saw is considered little suitable by many. The missing doctors, schools and kindergartens, the great distance from supermarkets and the restricted transport connections with only five bus connections per day increase the concerns of the residents. Many fear conflicts and possible crime, even if young men are accommodated. These fears are not unfounded because the integration of refugees in rural regions often encounter difficulties. Research reports show that migrants are often confronted in rural areas, which is a central challenge for their integration.

Although district administrator Indra Baier-Müller plans to bring one or two families from Ukraine to the new accommodation, but there are legal concerns: the approval for the use of the haybethof as accommodation could have gone out, which requires an official change in use. Such a change would require investments in fire protection that have not yet been planned. Despite the criticism and the rejected citizens' applications, the district office considers the new accommodation necessary and plans to prove it within the next few years.

future of refugee policy in rural areas

The resistance in Gunzesried saw represents one of many cases that can be observed in the distribution of refugees in rural areas of Germany. The distribution of refugee people varies greatly depending on the region and their previous migration history. In many communities, integration is determined by the range of living space and the existing infrastructure. reports from the region show that such accommodation often encounter resistance, while the number of asylum seekers in some areas are declining.

The next steps in the process are still unclear: The committee for inputs and complaints in the Bavarian state parliament will deal with the petition, and the member of the state parliament Joachim Konrad (CSU) has already expressed concerns about the suitability of the location. The next session will take place after Easter, until then the accommodation will remain vacant and further discussions will be foreseeable.