Corruption or transparency? Refugee accommodation revelations!

Corruption or transparency? Refugee accommodation revelations!

Neuruppin, Deutschland - On June 24, 2025, the audience in Neuruppin was able to experience a very special live journalism show. Adrian Garcia-Landa presented a mixture of journalism and art on stage that captivated the audience with the latest revelations about local grievances. In addition to a lectern on which a toy mercedes and a mini flag of the Ostprignitz-Ruppin region were emblazoned, cardboard signs with important terms such as press freedom, transparency and tax justice were on the edge of the stage. Despite the explosive topics, the audience, around 200 guests, initially acted some behavior, such as taz.de reported.

The event, part of the "Jive" series, which took place on the Hamburg Kampnagel and is organized by the charitable organization Headline, offers a platform for thoughtful discussions. Headline has started with journalism slams since 2016 and expanded his concept with orchestra shows in 2023. The evenings show diversity; Eva-Lena Lörzers reported on her father's dementia and the associated nursing crisis, while Nik Afanasjaw described his thoughtful experiences from the research trip to Spitzbergen. The stories of the “Flying Carpet” festival in Mardin were also not to be missing.

uncovering of corruption and grievances

One of the most sensational stories of the evening dealt with the topic of corruption around the refugee homes in Brandenburg. Garcia-Landa opened the show with "Dallas in Neuruppin-an economic crime in Brandenburg". Here, a fraud was uncovered that affected at least twelve million euros in tax money. The musical accompaniment by the orchestra, which played the famous Dallas title melody, rounded off the dramatic event.

As it turns out, the problems on site are not just purely fictional stories. In Flecken Zechlin, for example, there are massive concerns about a planned refugee home that is to be built right next to Helga B.'s house. The residents express their concerns about integration, costs and the use of the building. Despite an already issued budget of half a million euros, the building is currently empty. In addition, according to the reports of the Berliner Zeitung, numerous contracts and financial resources, whereby the suspicion of issuing orders and lease was out of the air.

demand for more transparency

The discussion about the lack of transparency in this region fits a larger trend that Transparency Germany also addresses in its new guidelines for more clarity in journalism. Again and again it was found in surveys that many journalists are affected by corruption. Transparency.de emphasizes that there is an urgent need for strict separation of editors and advertising departments as well as clear compliance regulations.

The experience reports and case studies of the evening in Neuruppin make it clear that it is not only necessary to clarify these machinations, but also that the audience is sensitized to these topics. The demand for more transparency and journalistic commitment is clearly noticeable among the residents and also in the wider public. In the long term, events that are often missing in rural areas could make an important contribution to increasing public awareness. We build bridges between journalism and the community.