Schönefeld's municipal council approved controversial exit center!

Schönefeld's municipal council approved controversial exit center!

Schönefeld, Deutschland - On July 16, 2025, the Schönefeld municipal council decided to vote 17 yes votes, 7 no votes and 4 abstentions for a entry and departure center at the airport. From 2028, this center is to bundle the area of responsibility around the entrance and departure of migrants and is part of a comprehensive construction project that is also to create over 200 new jobs. Mayor Christian Hentschel and the chairman of the municipal council Olaf Damm emphasized at the meeting that the upgrading of the municipal property will make a positive contribution to the development of the area. The decision combined with the positive decision represents a significant step in the implementation of the project, which has now taken a decisive hurdle, how maz-online.de reported.

But not everything seems to be in the best. Before the meeting, numerous citizens protested from the "Prevent Deport of Ber" initiative. Around 100 people laid out flowers and set up black coffins to demonstrate against the project. The critics warn of the implementation of asylum procedures and deportation at airports, which in their opinion could endanger human dignity. They criticize European foreclosure policy and ask the municipal council to reject the planned development plan, while a vigil has been announced for the coming Wednesday. As reports rbb24.de, the initiative is determined to stop the construction project.

an outlook on the next steps

The project stipulates that the state of Brandenburg will rent the building while the federal government wants to use areas. It is planned to advance the completion of the center by a private investor to build the center. However, this decision ensures further criticism, since the lack of public tender for the project is in the room. This could indicate that there is saving at the wrong end, which could once again undermine trust in public institutions.

The concerns and fears about the planned entry and exit center are not unfounded. In recent years, the number of deportations in Germany has increased steadily. In 2024, a total of 20,084 people were deported from Germany, an increase compared to previous years. Most deportations come from the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, whereby those affected often come from countries such as Georgia, Turkey, Afghanistan and other crisis regions. Such figures and processes do not let anyone cold and raise questions regarding the political handling of migrants, such as bpb.de explained.

The situation in Schönefeld is complex. While the municipal council relies on the development and creation of new jobs, it remains to be seen how public and political opinion on the planned center will continue to be designed and whether the protests of the initiative will bear fruit.