Grevesmühlen (dpa/mv) – At the citizens’ meeting for the planned refugee accommodation in the Mecklenburg town of Upahl, those responsible are trying to allay people’s concerns. The previous accommodations in Wismar are not a crime focus, said Uwe Oertel, head of the Wismar police inspection, on Friday evening in Grevesmühlen. He therefore does not assume that it will be different in Upahl.
Nevertheless, he also stated: “I can’t take your uncertainty away”. However, the police representative assured that the emergency services will always be able to be on site with sufficient officers should something happen.
400 asylum seekers are to be housed in a container settlement in the 500-strong town. According to the responsible district of Northwest Mecklenburg, this is mainly necessary because significantly more refugees have been assigned since November 2022. This has triggered acute pressure to act, since these people – in contrast to the refugees from Ukraine – may only be housed in communal accommodation.
Representatives of the district made it clear that alternatives would continue to be sought in order to quickly relieve Upahl. A plot of 5,000 square meters is being sought to build accommodation for at least 200 people – if possible permanently. The circle also tried to clarify how much the situation has changed since 2021. At that time, according to the information, 15 people came per month, the authorities now expect up to 20 asylum seekers per week in the future. The private housing market has also been swept empty by the needs of refugees from Ukraine.
Maike Frey from the German Red Cross campaigned for understanding and compassion. The current accommodation in gyms is not optimal, it is cramped, people have no privacy, no opportunity for leisure activities: “Integration can be implemented very poorly in a gym”.
