Conflict in Berlin: FU wants to build uni-construction instead of refugee accommodation

Conflict in Berlin: FU wants to build uni-construction instead of refugee accommodation

The planned container village for refugees on the universe area in Berlin-Dahlem ensures controversy and protests. The planned accommodation for 260 refugees encounters resistance, especially at the Free University (FU), which the site actually wants to use for teaching and research purposes. The President of the FU, Günter Ziegler, criticized that the university management was not integrated into the Senate plans.

The FU had offered temporary support in the past, but emphasized that the university area will be needed for its own construction work from 2023. The university proposes to use empty buildings from the Federal Real Estate Agency for refugee accommodation. The special representative for refugee questions, Albrecht Broemme, claims that as long as the property is unused, a temporary accommodation of refugees should be possible.

The Senate decided at the end of March to build 16 other container villages for refugees because there is still a need for living space for refugees. These new locations are intended to complement the existing social infrastructure and relieve the lack of living space. The planned container villages are primarily intended in the eastern part of the city, whereby the Pankow district already has a significant share in refugee accommodation.

The discussion about refugee accommodation in elegant districts such as Steglitz-Zehlendorf shows that resistance to such projects is often present. Critics point out that the FU Berlin, which presents itself as cosmopolitan and tolerant, rejects the construction of the container village on its premises in this case. This leads to discussions about double morality and against the ideals of the university. Nevertheless, the need for accommodation for refugees in Berlin remains high, and another debate is expected to see how the city deals appropriately with this challenge.