Uni surprised: Resistance to refugee village

Uni surprised: Resistance to refugee village

The property on Thielallee 63 in Berlin-Dahlem, which currently serves as a parking lot, is to be used for 260 refugees with a container village according to the Senate decision. However, there is resistance to these plans, especially at the Free University (FU). The FU President, Ms. Güttner, turned against the temporary accommodation of refugees on the planned site, since the university is planning a building for teaching and research instead. The refugee coordinator of Berlin, Albrecht Broemme, emphasized the urgency of the situation and pointed out that the FU had not supported the measure and felt overwhelmed by the Senate plans.

A spokesman for FU confirmed that the university has already taken short -term measures to support refugee people, but were not available to any other areas due to urgent construction projects after 2023. The university proposed to provide vacant buildings of the Federal Real Estate Institute as an alternative use for refugee accommodation. Broemme emphasized that the university had to give a time for the construction of the new building, since refugees could possibly be accommodated on the site in the near future.

The Senate also decided at the end of March the creation of 16 other container villages for the accommodation of refugees in Berlin. Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner said that despite the resistance, the measure was necessary because there is a lack of apartments for refugees. The new locations mainly concentrate in the eastern part of the city, which could lead to a further imbalance in the inclusion of refugees. In some distinguished districts, including Steglitz-Zehlendorf, similar measures encounter resistance.

These developments have led to discussions on social media, especially with reference to the reaction of the FU. Some users criticize the university for its supposed lack of support in temporary refugee accommodation on the planned site. Despite the resistance and discussions, the question remains how appropriate and effectively react to the refugee situation in Berlin, especially in view of the acute lack of housing and accommodation.