Refugee care: urgent appeal for filling open spots!

Refugee care: urgent appeal for filling open spots!

In a current special meeting of the municipal council of Großkrotzenburg, the FDP and the initiative brought in a joint application for the care of refugees. This topic not only affects the concerns of the newly arrived citizens, but also represents a challenge for the existing administration. Despite an urgency application from the initiative of November 12, 2021, which requested an immediate technical occupation of open positions on refugee care, no staffing has been carried out for over three years. Mayor Neumann confirmed that so far nobody has applied to the position of a social worker, which complicates the situation.

The municipality plans to continue the existing security service in 2025. The financial pressure is enormous: the costs for the security service add up to 463,000 euros annually, which corresponds to 1,270 euros a day. In addition, the deficit for the rental costs for the accommodations amounts to 175,000 euros, i.e. 480 euros per day. All in all, total costs of over 1,750 euros daily for security and rental costs.

demands for better integration

The members of the municipal council present expressed considerable criticism of the administration. In particular, it was criticized that there were not sufficient measures to fill the jobs for refugee care. Instead of relying on security services, there is an urgent need for better integration of refugee people through targeted pedagogical support. The administration is asked to fill the open spots on refugee care prioritarian and to cease security services after consumption of the already decided 100,000 euros.

There are also considerable concerns about the financing structure. The municipalities only receive 14 percent of the tax revenue, while they have to bear 25 percent of the financial tasks. This inadequate refinancing by the Main-Kinzig district, the state of Hesse and the federal government also makes the situation more difficult and could lead to even more difficult integration in the long term.

The challenge of the integration of refugees is underpinned by several studies and reports. According to the Action Council Education, educational offers must be expanded in order to promote labor market integration. The Bertelsmann Foundation emphasizes that existing practical approaches for the integration of migrants and refugees in Germany should be further developed in order to ensure their support sustainably. The current challenges in Großkrotzenburg are therefore part of a major problem that affects many communities in Germany.

Overall, it remains to be hoped that the administration will take the necessary steps in the coming time to sustainably improve the care of refugee people, and that the repeated references to inadequate financial resources will be taken seriously.

For further information on this topic, the de Gruyter available.