Gera's city boss against initial reception facility
Gera's Lord Mayor Julian Vonarb (non-party) has spoken out against an initial reception facility for refugees in his city. "With the announcement by the Free State of Thuringia of a possible initial reception facility or emergency accommodation for several hundred people on the site of the former Wismut hospital in the city of Gera, the capacity of the city of Gera is now manifestly overstretched," says Vonarb in a letter to Thuringia's Migration Minister Doreen Denstädt (Greens), as announced by the city of Gera on Wednesday.
According to the letter, Vonarb appealed "not to pursue possible plans for reactivating the site (...) any further". Otherwise, the city of Gera would "no longer be able to continue the practice of cooperation that has been practiced to date".
Vonarb pointed out that there had once been a consensus between him and Minister President Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) that such plans were not on the table for the city of Gera. The local politician spoke of "miserable management of the refugee crisis by the Ministry of Migration, Justice and Consumer Protection, which is currently still responsible". He was annoyed that the current examinations had not been officially reported to the municipalities.
The proposed initial reception facility for refugees at the former Wismut hospital in Gera could exacerbate the city's existing capacity issues, as stated by Mayor Julian Vonarb. This situation might compel Gera to cease its current cooperative practices if the facility is established, highlighting the potential impact on refugee management in the city.
Source: www.dpa.com
