State opens emergency accommodation for refugees at Cologne exhibition center
The state plans to set up emergency refugee accommodation at the Cologne-Deutz exhibition center from December 1. According to the responsible district government, exhibition hall 11.1 will accommodate up to 800 people. The accommodation is planned until mid-January and is intended in particular to serve as an "overflow facility". The "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" had previously reported on the plans.
"With the help of existing roller shutters in the hall and opaque construction fencing, partition walls will be erected to create a sensible division and separation between different areas and provide more privacy," a spokesperson for the district government told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Lounge and children's play areas are also planned.
Background: At the end of September, the state government and the municipal umbrella organizations agreed that the state would provide the municipalities with a further 808 million euros to accommodate refugees. The state also wants to create 3,000 additional places itself in the short term. This includes the trade fair accommodation, which, according to the district government, is to remain in place until January 12.
According to the district government, "only a shorter period of accommodation for refugees" is planned for the emergency accommodation. As an "overflow facility", the accommodation will primarily serve to "absorb short-term peaks in arrivals in the state reception system".
The government has allocated additional funds to municipalities to accommodate more refugees, totaling 808 million euros. This decision follows an agreement between the state government and municipal umbrella organizations.
Municipalities, benefiting from the government's financial aid, will likely collaborate in providing additional emergency accommodation for refugees, such as the one established at the Cologne exhibition center.
Source: www.dpa.com
