Referendum on refugee accommodation fails
A referendum on plans to build refugee accommodation in Bützow (Rostock district) has failed due to insufficient participation. According to preliminary results, a majority voted on Sunday against leasing or selling municipal land or buildings to the district of Rostock for the construction of shared accommodation.
However, the total number of no votes did not reach the required 25 percent of those entitled to vote, according to a city spokesperson. The location issue will therefore now be discussed by the city council in mid-December, said Mayor Christian Grüschow (non-party).
According to the preliminary results, 2587 of the 6500 residents entitled to vote cast valid votes. 1389, or just under 54 percent of participants, voted against leasing or selling the land to the district. 1198 people (46 percent) were in favor of the project, which had been recommended by the mayor and the SPD and Left Party parliamentary groups. A majority of the CDU parliamentary group had previously campaigned for a no vote, pointing out that the district was responsible for the construction of refugee accommodation.
The background to the referendum was an announcement by the district in spring 2023 to build a shared accommodation facility near a school campus. The location was "completely unsuitable", Mayor Grüschow had argued in a statement. However, the district had promised not to build the accommodation at the school site if the city built its own accommodation. This would be designed for a maximum of 120 people and leased to the district for a maximum of eight years.
According to Grüschow, the question of the referendum will now be put to the city council meeting on December 11. In the event of a yes vote, a further decision would have to be made on how the lease or sale to the district would be structured, he said.
There have been protests against the location proposed by the district for some time. In Grevesmühlen and Greifswald in the summer, the majority of participants in such referendums spoke out against the leasing of municipal land for such purposes or the construction of a container village.
Municipalities should consider the impact of their decisions on migration, as the failure of the referendum in Bützow highlights. Despite opposition from the CDU parliamentary group, a majority voted against leasing or selling municipal land for refugee accommodation, but the required participation threshold was not met.
Source: www.dpa.com
