Minister plans first exit center: Greens have concerns
The first departure center for refugees in Brandenburg could open next year, according to Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU). "The first facility of this kind could go into operation as early as 2024," ministry spokesperson Andreas Carl told the German Press Agency. "The current considerations are not to integrate exit facilities into the initial reception facility, but to favor cooperation with municipal facilities in the districts and independent cities." However, the plans are controversial within the red-black-green coalition.
The minister wants to speed up the repatriation of migrants who are obliged to leave the country and open three facilities in Brandenburg. He plans to house refugees with obstacles to deportation, such as a lack of replacement passport documents, in shared accommodation. According to his own statements, he also wants to prevent migrants registered for repatriation from only turning up occasionally when they need to deal with the authorities.
Voluntary departures are to be encouraged, but returns against the will of those affected are also to be forced. There are currently around 4,500 people in Brandenburg who are required to leave the country. Stübgen cited Schleswig-Holstein as a model for the project.
The Greens in the state parliament consider municipal departure centers to be problematic for several reasons. "The accommodation of people who are required to leave the country in municipal facilities is not legally possible under the State Reception Act," Green parliamentary group leader Petra Budke told dpa. "Departure facilities can only be created by the state."
The Green politician criticized the fact that Stübgen has not yet presented a concept. In her view, the comparison with Schleswig-Holstein is not valid: there are only a few places for those obliged to leave the country in the initial reception facility, said Budke. She also criticizes one reason: "Returns fail for many reasons, but rarely because the people cannot be found."
The plans to establish departure centers for refugees with deportation obstacles involve cooperating with municipalities and independent cities in Brandenburg, as stated by Interior Minister Michael Stübgen. This approach raises concerns within the red-black-green coalition, as some municipalities might find it challenging to accommodate refugees obligated to leave the country, as expressed by Green parliamentary group leader Petra Budke.
Source: www.dpa.com
