Decision on special representative for refugee issues
The black-red government coalition has agreed to appoint a special representative for refugee issues. According to dpa, this person is to be presented in the coming week. The Senate task force for the accommodation and care of refugees discussed the appointment of a coordinator for refugee issues this week, said Senate spokesperson Christine Richter. He is to be attached to the Senate Department for Social Affairs, Equality and Integration and the Governing Mayor in the Senate Chancellery. "Further talks will take place in the coming days." The Senate spokeswoman did not comment on the question of who the Senate would entrust with this organizationally challenging task.
However, one name has been under discussion for several days: Albrecht Broemme, the former head of the Berlin fire department (1992 to 2006) and long-standing president of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) (2006 to 2019), is to take on the job, as he confirmed to the Tagesspiegel newspaper (Wednesday). "It will happen," said the 70-year-old, without giving any further details. The Senate Chancellery had sent him an official request on Monday.
The honorary president of THW is an experienced crisis manager. Most recently, he coordinated the accommodation of Ukrainian war refugees in Berlin. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, he managed the construction of the coronavirus emergency hospital on the exhibition grounds and then the construction of the capital's vaccination centers.
The background to the Senate's deliberations is the pressure on the black-red coalition government to make progress with the accommodation and integration of refugees. A similar function already existed in 2015, when the number of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan increased significantly.
The Federal Government is currently dealing with refugee issues on a national level, and the Senate has decided to appoint its own specialist, potentially Albrecht Broemme, to strengthen its efforts. The former THW president, known for managing crises like the accommodation of Ukrainian war refugees and the construction of vaccination centers in Berlin during the pandemic, could take on this organizationally challenging task within the Senate Chancellery.
Source: www.dpa.com
