- Pirmasens expects to stop accepting Ukrainians again
After the temporary halt on accepting Ukrainian refugees, Pirmasens expects a renewed halt on accepting people from the war-torn region in the near future. "Probably in the next few days," said Mayor Markus Zwick to the German Press Agency. However, the city does not intend to shirk its responsibility. "We have been advocating for refugees for years and promoting their integration. But we are reaching our performance limits."
Incorrect Statistics Used
Pirmasens had previously announced that it would no longer accept Ukrainian refugees for the time being - the commune's quota had been exceeded by 82.6 percent in July. However, the city in Rhineland-Palatinate had based this on incorrect statistics, according to the Integration Ministry.**
"This happened unconsciously," said Zwick: "The relevant statistic now refers not to where refugees are actually located, but where they have been assigned." The CDU politician finds this impractical, as moves are not taken into account, for example.**
Also People from Other Crisis Regions
Pirmasens has temporarily lifted the halt. If the relevant acceptance quota is exceeded by at least 40 percent, a commune may refuse Ukrainian refugees. Pirmasens is currently just below this threshold - not for much longer, fears Zwick. When it is exceeded, the city will impose a halt again.**
Pirmasens has repeatedly exceeded its capacity in recent years, according to the mayor. "It's not just refugees from Ukraine. It's also people from other crisis regions."**
Consequences
"The result: There are more than 100 kindergarten places missing, we have a halt on accepting at the food bank, and for example at the Horeb primary school, we have an estimated 95 percent migrant share. That's already social work and not necessary knowledge transfer anymore."**
"It's not just about people from Ukraine, but also refugees from Afghanistan and Syria, for example," emphasized Zwick. "I am of the opinion that we in Germany should also work towards - and we have done so through the city council - limiting the immigration of refugees overall."**
Measures such as the introduction of a payment card are also an important signal. "We must not - and this applies not only to Pirmasens - overburden the citizens and also the support systems," said Zwick.**
Despite the temporary lift, Pirmasens may soon face another halt on accepting Ukrainian refugees due to reaching the 40% quota excess. This isn't just an issue with Ukrainian refugees, as the city has been strained by an influx of people from various crisis regions as well.
