The southwest is taking in tens of thousands of refugees and migrants. They have to be examined, they have to have a roof over their heads and, ideally, they have to be trained. The municipalities have been warning for a long time. Now they are appealing to the federal government – and they are becoming clear.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – In view of the increasing number of refugees from Ukraine and other countries, the municipalities, cities and districts are appealing to the responsibility of the federal government and warning of a decreasing acceptance of the people in the country. The three municipal umbrella organizations in Baden-Württemberg demanded in a statement that the refugees could no longer be distributed to accommodation by the municipalities. Rather, there must be national arrival centers where they can be recorded, registered and distributed, according to the “Stuttgart Declaration for a Reality-Based Refugee Policy,” which the municipal, city and district councils intend to publish in Stuttgart on Tuesday. The twelve demands are available to the German Press Agency.
“The federal government is responsible for the asylum procedure and at the same time, as the legislature, is also responsible for the access regulations in the Federal Republic of Germany,” the associations argue. However, only the federal states and municipalities created the capacity. This also applies to people who have no prospect of staying. The federal government should “take on its own operational responsibility for taking in people fleeing to Germany,” the municipalities and districts are demanding.
The national centers should check more quickly whether people are allowed to stay, otherwise they would have to be deported directly from the arrival centers. “This would simplify repatriation while clarifying the required repatriation consistency,” the statement said. Refugees should only be redistributed if they have the prospect of staying. It is also necessary to expand existing deportation agreements with other countries or to start talks with new countries of origin.
Against the background of the massive shortage of skilled workers, from the point of view of the municipalities, pressure must also be put on refugees who can work or do charitable work. Employable refugees who are unable to find a job should generally be obliged to pursue “an activity in the public interest”, for example in the elderly and care sector and in connection with a language course. “Performing such activities can be a good basis for subsequent vocational training or employment and thus for successful integration,” argue the associations.
Additional apartments, more daycare places and better school supplies are needed – the districts, cities and municipalities see themselves additionally slowed down by the lack of staff. “The massive shortage of skilled workers and workers is having an impact here, in all areas – from the immigration authorities to the youth welfare offices and real estate administration,” the associations complain in the statement. Standards would have to be lowered and bureaucratic procedures simplified. As examples, the associations cite the requirements for the accommodation of older unaccompanied minor refugees, the settlement of refugee costs and the obligation to provide documentation.
The dilemma between humanitarian duty and what is actually possible is growing, the statement warns. Even the large number of additional capacities created are almost exhausted almost everywhere, employees on the edge of their ability to perform, daycare centers and schools are overloaded. “Unfortunately, there is a real danger that society’s acceptance of migration will deteriorate noticeably,” the districts and municipalities warn.
