Migration - Asylum center at BER criticized - federal government plans its own building
Plans for building an immigration and emigration center for refugees at the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BER) are facing new criticism due to the lack of a public bidding process. The federal and state governments plan to jointly use the future facility to expedite deportations. Criticism arises due to the absence of a public bidding process, as the online and research platform "Ask the State" made publicly available documents and emails. The "Tagesspiegel" reported on this. The Brandenburg Interior Ministry defends the absence of a public bidding process.
The Federal Government builds deportation buildings on another site
A private investor is supposed to construct the long-controversial immigration and emigration center in Schönefeld, which the state will then rent. Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) had always justified the lack of a bidding process by stating that the investor owned the required land and no alternative sites were available. The land for the administrative center belongs to the investor's company or there is an option for them to acquire it, said ministry spokesman Martin Burmeister.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior stated that the Federal Government would rent office spaces for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) and the Federal Police in the planned center at BER. A building for the return processing department, where the Federal Police handle deportations, is not planned to be located there.
"The operational part of the return processing department of the Berlin Police Directorate will be located on a site directly in the security area of Berlin/Brandenburg Airport (BER) for police and operational reasons," explained the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Brandenburg deems public bidding unnecessary
The online and research platform "Ask the State" and the "Tagesspiegel" reported that the Federal Real Estate Agency had raised concerns because there was no publicly tendered contracting procedure for the multi-million dollar construction project. In response to the question of whether a bidding process was necessary, the Berlin Ministry stated to the dpa: In the search for "the best possible option for accommodating" the Federal Police and BAMF, the Federal Real Estate Agency had evaluated various accommodation options on different sites at BER from a legal perspective.
In the Brandenburg state budget, according to the Interior Ministry, there are long-term commitments of 315 million Euro for rents and leases for the entire 25-year lease term for the immigration and emigration center. It is still unclear whether these authorizations will be fully utilized for payments. According to previous ministry statements, the asylum center is supposed to go into operation from 2026.
Audit demanded
The Greens in Brandenburg are calling for a halt to the project and are complaining about "questionable decisions behind closed doors". The Left faction demands a review by the State Audit Office. A spokesperson for the authority told the dpa: "The State Audit Office is dealing with how to handle the matter." It is still unclear whether the case will be audited. The questions are very complex.
In the past year, it was reported that spaces for justice, a detention center for people whose entry was denied, and a housing and transit building for people were to be set up. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees was also to be a user. Interior Minister Stübgen had already agreed with the former Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) on a jointly used immigration and emigration center.
Concerns about missing procurement procedures
The platform "Ask the State" reportedly received thousands of emails, protocols, and reports from the Federal Interior Ministry according to the Freedom of Information Act and reported on procedural irregularities. According to extended planning until 2022 and an expansion of the area, not all planned real estate areas were in the possession of the same investor, it was reported. The lack of a public tender therefore had to be checked, according to Julian Brummer from the Anti-Corruption Organization Transparency International in the "Ask the State" report.
The Interior Ministry in Potsdam stated in response to an inquiry: "According to our information, the withdrawal of the Federal Police from the return building with the necessary site conditions was justified." The ministry's argument for the missing tender also remains unchanged: "The real estate for the administrative center belongs to the company Harder or they have an option to purchase it."
- The Daily Mirror joined the criticism against the planned refugee center at BER due to the absence of a public bidding process.
- The Federal Government has chosen a private investor to construct the immigration and emigration center in Schönefeld, which the state will lease later.
- Michael Stübgen, the Brandenburg Interior Minister, justified the lack of a bidding process by stating that no alternative sites were available and the investor owned the required land.
- The Federal Ministry of the Interior will rent office spaces for BAMF and the Federal Police in the planned center at BER.
- The operational part of the return processing department of the Berlin Police Directorate will be located on a site directly in the security area of BER for police and operational reasons.
- The Federal Real Estate Agency had raised concerns about the lack of a publicly tendered contracting procedure for the multi-million dollar construction project.
- The Greens in Brandenburg demand a halt to the project and a review by the State Audit Office due to questionable decisions behind closed doors.
- The former Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had already agreed with Interior Minister Stübgen on a jointly used immigration and emigration center.
- The lack of a public tender for some real estate areas had to be checked, according to Julian Brummer from the Anti-Corruption Organization Transparency International.
