More and more municipalities are sounding the alarm: They are overwhelmed with the accommodation of refugees. A Bavarian district administrator sharply criticizes the federal and state governments in an interview.
A few fire letters are reaching the Federal Chancellery these days. They come from local politicians who sound the alarm: they are overwhelmed with the accommodation of refugees in their district or community. Her accusation: the federal and state governments have let the municipalities down. The chancellor should intervene and make the issue a top priority.
Jens Marco Scherf wrote such an incendiary letter in mid-January. Eight years ago, the 48-year-old was surprisingly elected district administrator in the Franconian town of Miltenberg, making him one of the few district administrators for the Greens in Bavaria. In his letter to the Chancellor, he warns that the load limit has been far exceeded and that local authorities are simply not able to take in more people.
Where are the problems? Where does Scherf see solutions? A conversation about controversial emergency shelters, his expectations of the planned refugee summit and the mood in his community.
t-online: What about the accommodation of refugees in your district?
Jens Marco Scherf: The situation is precarious. We have a dramatic housing shortage in the district and no space for accommodation, but there are also many other things that are lacking. Our resources are exhausted.
Are you afraid of distribution?
These are not fears, these are tangible distribution problems. We already have far too few apartments for the general population, too few doctors, not enough places and care options in kindergartens and schools. Integration does not succeed under such circumstances. You have to be able to make an effort, you have to put in your time and energy. We can’t do that at the moment.
To person
Jens Marco Scherf, 48 years old, has been a member of the Greens since 1994. Since 2014 he has been a district administrator in the district of Miltenberg. First he was elected in a run-off with just under 50 percent of the votes, and in 2020 he was re-elected with 69 percent of the votes. Scherf studied teaching, worked at various schools and was rector of the Faulbach Association School from 2008. He is married and has four children.
Is that why you wrote an incendiary letter to the chancellor?
It is my duty as a local politician to say: Attention, stop! We’ve got a huge problem here.
How many refugees did your district take in last year?
About 1,600 people from Ukraine, plus about 500 people from Afghanistan and Syria. We also have about 800 refugees from 2015 and 2016 who still need care. We have had to take in more people since January because the anchor centers in Bavaria are full. That’s why we opened our first emergency shelter last week.
Were you prepared for this?
Last autumn we rented an empty school building as a reserve. That was a big concern for me. I really wanted to avoid going to gyms. Nevertheless, the public mood in relation to the emergency shelter is sometimes very critical.
We rented the emergency shelter from the city in anticipation of a possible further escalation in Ukraine. However, fewer people are now coming from Ukraine; instead, immigration from Syria and Afghanistan has increased again. Single men in particular will now move into the emergency shelter. At first it was a shock for the people.
As of last week, 30 young men live there and behave impeccably. But: The concerns of the population are there, they cannot be talked away.
You’re not the only local politician sounding the alarm about the pressure. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has therefore hastily scheduled a refugee summit. What are your hopes?
Few. These summits are always convened under pressure, then it usually remains a one-off meeting and pure announcements. But there needs to be a discourse at the specialist level, working groups on very different topics that are made up of people from the field at all levels. And the most important thing: you have to stay in constant contact and consult closely.
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