Brandenburg rejects a joint refugee center in Oranienburg

Brandenburg rejects a joint refugee center in Oranienburg

In Brandenburg there are currently no plans for a joint arrival center with Berlin in Oranienburg. On Monday, the Interior Ministry in Potsdam firmly rejected the relevant media reports that had suggested such a step. A spokeswoman made it clear that “such a project is not currently being planned.” rbb24 reported.

These statements come after the Berlin media “Berliner Morgenpost” and “Berliner Kurier” reported on plans to build an arrival center with up to 3,000 spaces on a meadow near Oranienburg. The operating costs for this facility could be reduced to less than 100 million euros per year - a third of the costs compared to the current refugee center on the site of the former Tegel Airport, which will soon have to move because the Urban Tech Republic is to be built there.

Political differences and financial challenges

Berlin and Brandenburg are faced with the challenge of finding solutions to the increasing number of refugees. A joint arrival center in Oranienburg was brought up as a possibility in the political discussions, knowing full well that the site of the former Karl Bonhoeffer mental hospital in Reinickendorf had already been rejected because it would be too small for such a project. The coalition of CDU and SPD is currently blocking more than 300 million euros in the supplementary budget that was intended for a new arrival center at Tegel Airport. The total cost of almost a billion euros over five years is still being discussed Berlin courier informed.

In the search for alternatives, people now see a lot of potential in the meadow near Oranienburg, although political agreement regarding implementation remains controversial. While the CDU is open to the idea, the SPD is rather skeptical. Nevertheless, this option would be of interest to refugees in Berlin, as the arrival center could actually be operated more cost-effectively here.

The purpose of arrival centers

Arrival centers are key to the asylum process in Germany. They provide a central access point for asylum seekers, where all necessary steps, such as medical examinations, collection of personal data, application and integration, are carried out. These processes are crucial not only for the applicants, but also for the authorities involved, who work together efficiently through integrated refugee management, such as the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees BAMF explained.

These arrival centers not only process the asylum application, but also provide initial orientation into the new living conditions, including access to language and integration courses as well as support from the employment agency. This is particularly important in order to give asylum seekers a good start in their new life.

It remains to be seen how the political negotiations will develop and whether the Oranienburg location will become a reality for the refugees it will accommodate in the foreseeable future or whether other solutions will have to be found.