Conflict in Berlin: University blocks container village for refugees

Conflict in Berlin: University blocks container village for refugees

The vacant land at Thielallee 63 in Berlin-Dahlem, which the Senate has earmarked for the construction of a container village for 260 refugees, is encountering resistance, particularly at the Free University (FU). The university management feels ignored and emphasizes that it was not involved in the decision-making processes. Although the FU is generally willing to support refugees, it points out that the property in question is needed for its own construction projects and has already provided short-term support in the past.

The FU suggests that the Federal Real Estate Agency use empty buildings at Thielallee 92 for refugee accommodation, as this would not influence its own construction plans. The Senate's special representative for refugee issues, Broemme, emphasizes that the accommodation of refugees on vacant land such as Thielallee 63 could represent a temporary measure and asks for a date for the start of construction of the planned building.

At the beginning of March, the Senate approved the construction of 16 additional container villages to counteract the acute lack of housing for refugees. Governing Mayor Wegner explained that although it was difficult to reach an agreement, additional locations for the container villages are needed. The planned locations are primarily concentrated in the eastern part of the city, with individual districts such as Pankow already receiving a high proportion of refugees and now experiencing additional burdens.

Despite ridicule and criticism online regarding the FU's resistance to the container village on the university campus, there are different views on the problem. While some emphasize the need for more accommodation options for refugees, the FU is heavily criticized for its negative stance on social media. The conflict highlights the challenges in finding suitable areas to accommodate refugees in Berlin.