Tegel: 1,400 jobs in refugee accommodation fall away - what now?

Tegel: 1,400 jobs in refugee accommodation fall away - what now?

Tegel, Berlin, Deutschland - The refugee accommodation on the site of the former Tegel Airport in Berlin faces fundamental changes. Around 1,400 employees, including many of the DRK Social Werk Berlin and other aid organizations, lose their jobs at the end of the year, as their contracts expire and are expected to be extended. This information was recently announced by rbb24. The employees were informed early on that their employment relationships will change.

Although the number of employees is falling, the Berlin Senate has decided to continue to use the site to accommodate refugees. By the end of May 2031, parts of it are to serve as the central arrival center for asylum seekers. Originally, Tegel had been designed as an arrival center since 2022 in order to take up refugees from Ukraine, who should initially only be accommodated there at short notice.

capacity and decline in accommodation

The new planning provides for a reduced capacity of 2,600 seats, while significantly more people were previously housed. Since 2022, approximately 120,000 war refugees from Ukraine and other countries have been recorded and supervised in Tegel, reports The DRK . However, the need for support changes with the currently falling number of refugees housed, as the numbers show: There are currently still around 6,500 places available, of which around 2,700 of which are occupied by Ukrainians and around 1,000 of refugees from other countries of origin.

Berlin aid organizations, including the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and Malteser, adapt their offer to the current circumstances. They support refugees through general care, leisure and advisory services as well as medical care. In the hardly existing places and the increased demand, job and integration fairs that are held in Tegel are becoming more important. In the past few months, such an event attracted around 800 visitors.

medical care and social services

Thanks to an extensive logistics that the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund provides, and the support of the Maltese, the needs of the emergency duplication facility are efficiently coordinated. Excursions, leisure activities and music school offers are on the program to offer the refugee people a perspective.

The situation of refugee people in Germany remains tense. The discussions about asylum law have changed significantly since the foundation of the Federal Republic. According to BPB, Germany is now one of the main reception center for refugees worldwide. The reforms of the asylum procedure are trying to ensure an orderly process, even if many changes led to a noticeable tightening of asylum law.

Overall, it becomes clear that the challenges on the way to the integration of refugee people are still present. Nevertheless, the use of employees in institutions such as Tegel remains tireless. A good knack in dealing with these complex topics is required, both by the aid organizations and politics.