Demolition of the asylum accommodation in Zwickau: A symbol of change!

Demolition of the asylum accommodation in Zwickau: A symbol of change!

In Zwickauer Kopernikusstraße, a significant renovation has started: the demolition of the dilapidated house 1 of the asylum accommodation is in full swing. Over the past few days, over half of the building that dates from the GDR period has already been razed to the ground. This procedure lies in the context of a comprehensive renovation and modernization of the accommodation, which offers a total of 300 places and is an important contact point for asylum seekers, including Ukrainian refugees. Radio Zwickau reports on the progress and changes.

Last year two new smaller houses - house 1a and 1b - were built behind the old building. In addition, the newer house 4 was constructed in the same modern style. This shows the decision of the district office to continuously modernize the accommodation and to adapt to the needs of today.

legal framework for accommodation

The legal foundations for the accommodation of asylum seekers, Ukrainian refugees and late relies are determined by the Saxon refugee recording law (Sächsflüag) and the Saxon Law on the Access of Late Leader (Sächsspaeg). These laws oblige the Zwickau district to provide suitable accommodations. The companies of the accommodation institutions have been taken over by third parties since 2008, such as by the European HomeCare GmbH from Essen or the Diakonie Westachsen Foundation.

Currently, the accommodation Situation in the Zwickau district contains four centrally operated shared accommodation with capacities between 599 and 849 seats as well as six decentralized shared accommodation. A total of 2,984 places were provided by the end of February 2023, with the load in different categories different. The occupancy of the dormitory places that are 93% busy is particularly high.

forecasts and challenges

For 2023, an occupancy of around 15,000 asylum seekers in Saxony is forecast, with Zwickau could make up a quota of around 7.62%. This requires an expansion of existing capacities by about 850 places, since the forecast has a total occupancy of 3,895 to 4,165 places until the end of the year. These figures are not only a challenge for the municipal authorities, but also show the necessary development to meet the needs of refugees and society.

Overall, the situation is tense for many refugees in Saxony. A negative development of decentralized accommodation is increasingly being observed. While the Erzgebirge district stands out positively from the negative quotas, other regions, such as Dresden and Bautzen, fight with lack of structures and increasing occupancy in the recording facilities. A worrying aspect are the psychological stress, which many refugees are exposed to, which is expressed in the increasing number of suicide attempts and other social problems.

The current developments in Zwickau show how important it is to find sustainable solutions for the accommodation of people into need and to modernize existing structures continuously. The demolition of the old house 1 is only the first step in this way.