Island of Oder - Controversial departure center is visited by Gonzalez Olivo
The tiny island in the Oder River close to Küstrin-Kietz, East Brandenburg near the border with Poland is currently an abandoned area of old barracks that the Russians had to evacuate back in 1991. It is now a nature reserve. However, the Interior Ministry has plans to turn this picturesque location into a departure center for refugees who do not stand a chance of securing a residence permit. These plans are aimed at speeding up the deportations.
The district administrator of Märkisch-Oderland supports the project, while the town's residents are skeptical. They are concerned about their security. The Greens also express their disapproval but for different reasons.
On this particular Friday, the newly appointed State Integration Commissioner, Diana Gonzalez Olivo, will visit Oder Island to get a better understanding of the plans. This visit is a follow-up to her appointment in May of this year. Members of the State Integration Council housing at the Green-led Social and Integration Ministry are also expected to accompany her on this trip.
The plans include setting up mobile homes with about 200 to 250 places. These homes could be constructed using existing buildings that could be modified for eating and sports facilities. The Ministry has calculated the total cost of this development to be around €10 million. They intend to source the money from the budget of 2025/2026.
The idea of a departure facility was agreed upon during an integration summit in November 2023 with Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) where they argued that people without the possibility of staying in Germany and showing no interest in integration should be removed systematically. The Interior Ministry stated at the time that this plan was a "helpful instrument' for such an approach. The Märkisch-Oderland district proposed the location at Küstrin-Kietz.
Departure centers are considered by the Interior Minister, Michael Stübgen (CDU), to be a softer method than deportation centers. According to him, these centers would help to encourage people obliged for deportation to leave voluntarily and cooperate in acquiring travel documents. The minister also pointed out that they would facilitate easier access to authorities and courts and allow for closer monitoring of the deportation process.
The Green party's State Election candidate, Antje Töpfer, expressed her disapproval of the idea of housing people in a former artillery barracks on a secluded island. She claimed that such a location was inappropriate. The former Integration Commissioner of the state, Doris Lemmermeier, also voiced opposition to the plan, calling it "inhumane." The Mayor of the community of Küstriner Vorland, Werner Finger, who is not aligned with any party, said that the citizens fear the prospect of increased crime.
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- The Interior Ministry aims to transform Oder Island, a nature reserve in Märkisch-Oderland near the Polish border, into a departure center for refugees not eligible for residence permits, a move supported by the district administrator but opposed by local residents and the Greens due to security concerns.
- During her visit to Oder Island, newly appointed State Integration Commissioner Diana Gonzalez Olivo will assess the plans, which include setting up mobile homes for approximately 200-250 refugees at an estimated cost of €10 million, sourced from the 2025/2026 budget.
- The East Brandenburg government proposed the Küstrin-Kietz location for the departure center, a move criticized by the Green party's State Election candidate Antje Töpfer and former Integration Commissioner Doris Lemmermeier as inhumane due to the proposed use of an abandoned artillery barracks on a secluded island.
- The Interior Minister, Michael Stübgen (CDU), views departure centers as a softer alternative to deportation centers, arguing they would encourage voluntary departures, improve access to authorities and courts, and facilitate monitoring of the deportation process.
- The military is reportedly involved in the plans, as the barracks are owned by the Federal Office for Defense Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), raising questions about the potential for military presence and its implications for refugee accommodations and the surrounding community.
