Relocation - Over 200 asylum seekers in a newly built facility in Stendal.
After a month of operation, the new reception center for asylum seekers in Stendal houses approximately 200 individuals. The Interior Ministry in Magdeburg confirmed this to the German Press Agency when asked. Opening and staffing processes at the center in Stendal have unfolded seamlessly with no major issues, according to the ministry. They also reported that all of the eleven state employee positions had been filled by May 31, 2024. The manager is currently on-site, and the facility is under constant surveillance using a shift system.
The AfD state faction holds a negative opinion of the new center, proposing it should instead be used as a deportation center. Co-faction leader Ulrich Siegmund remarked: "The facility Zast Stendal should only house women and children. I've witnessed the current situation; many individuals came and left, but no women or children were present. It was all young men. Once again, the authorities have deceived the public."
The Interior Ministry provided updated statistics on May 30, revealing 96 minor children living there with their family members, as well as 20 single women. Additionally, a small group of vulnerable individuals, including those with severe physical illnesses or mental health issues, or victims of violence, were accommodated along with their family members.
Stendal plays a significant role alongside the Central Reception Center for Asylum Seekers of Saxony-Anhalt (Zast) in Halberstadt, which currently houses about 1,930 people. The Landesaufnahmeeinrichtung in Bernburg, initially set up as a temporary facility for vulnerable refugees, is slated to close by June 30, 2024. The Zast branch in a hotel in Halberstadt is also scheduled to shut down on the same date. This famous hotel was initially leased as a reception center for Ukrainian refugees in March 2022. Later in 2023, it was used due to the increase in the number of asylum seekers.
The Zast in Halberstadt's main office will continue to serve as the initial contact for asylum seekers in Saxony-Anhalt despite the partial opening of LAE Stendal. Seekers arriving at the Zast main office are first registered and medically examined by the Harz district. After that, the need-based accommodation of asylum seekers is reviewed and organized according to the Interior Ministry.
The number of asylum seekers in Saxony-Anhalt has significantly decreased over the first four months compared to the previous year, down by around 20%. The overall decline was particularly noticeable in May. As of May 27, 2024, there were about 1,870 people, a considerable drop from the same time in 2023 when about 2,500 people were present. The average weekly number of asylum seekers in Saxony-Anhalt has decreased to 89 this year from 149 in 2023, the Interior Ministry noted.
Speaking on behalf of the Interior Ministry, Saxony-Anhalt's Interior Minister, Tamara Zieschang (CDU), stated: "The temporary internal border controls established at Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Austria are effective." This is demonstrated by the decreasing access numbers. "As long as the EU's external borders aren't adequately protected, internal border controls are essential to restrict unauthorized migration. Furthermore, other measures need to be implemented." Despite this positive progress, Germany still faces too many arrivals without a valid reason for asylum. Consequently, Zieschang advocates for continuing with decisions made at the European level, implementing asylum procedures with faint prospects of success at the EU's external borders in the future.
Read also:
- The new reception center for asylum seekers in Stendal is located in the municipality of Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt.
- The AfD faction in Magdeburg criticizes the use of the Stendal facility, suggesting it should be transformed into a deportation center for women and children.
- The German Press Agency reported that the Ministry of the Interior in Magdeburg confirmed the occupation of the new facility by around 200 refugees, primarily men.
- In Halberstadt, the Central Reception Center for Asylum Seekers of Saxony-Anhalt (Zast) accommodates approximately 1,930 individuals, including children and women.
- Following the closing of the temporary facilities in Bernburg and Halberstadt's hotel, asylum seekers in Saxony-Anhalt will be directed to the newly built facility in Stendal.
- Asylum seeker numbers in Saxony-Anhalt have dropped by 20% compared to the previous year, with the Interior Ministry citing the effectiveness of internal border controls as a significant factor.
- Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) emphasized the need for continued internal border controls and European-level measures to manage unauthorized migration and protect Germany's external borders.
