Dresden closes refugee accommodation: decline in asylum seekers!

Dresden closes refugee accommodation: decline in asylum seekers!

There is news about the accommodation of asylum seekers in Dresden. Two years ago, mobile space units, better known as containers, were set up at nine locations in the city to accommodate refugees traveling alone. This measure was necessary because the city initially resorted to apartments, hotel rooms and disused buildings. But now the number of asylum seekers has fallen dramatically. The city has therefore decided to close all six remaining transitional homes by the end of the year in order to take the current situation into account. Radio Dresden reports that The affected locations include Altgorbitzer Ring, Strehlen and Johannstadt.

The rental agreements for the container locations expire and will not be extended. In the first four months of 2023, only 325 asylum seekers were assigned to Dresden by the Saxony State Directorate, which clearly underlines the decline. As the city administration has already forecast, a similar number of 1,300 new allocations is expected for 2025, but this is considered unrealistic. Political criticism comes from the CDU, which denounces the late reaction to the decline in the number of asylum seekers.

High cost of container accommodation

Operating the containers has proven to be costly. The largest location on Windmühlenstrasse alone has a monthly rent of 100,000 euros and an additional 70,000 euros for security. Overall, the operating costs of the nine locations amounted to an impressive 47 million euros two years ago. Nevertheless, the containers will be dismantled and repurposed, while the remaining residents will be accommodated in apartments or other shared accommodation.

The trends in the number of asylum seekers are also reflected in nationwide spending. In Germany, gross expenditure on benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act amounted to around 6.3 billion euros in 2023. The largest expenditure item was basic benefits, followed by special benefits in case of need and cash benefits to secure a living. The Federal Agency for Civic Education informs that The net costs in this area were also around 5.98 billion euros.

Nationwide spending in context

In total, around 28.4 billion euros were spent on refugee-related expenditure in 2022, which accounted for around 6.2 percent of the federal government's total expenditure. In comparison, around 27.6 billion euros are planned for asylum-related costs in 2023. Statista reports that Spending is constantly changing, which reflects the fundamental changes in asylum policy and social conditions.

The situation in Dresden is a reflection of nationwide developments in the area of ​​migration and asylum. It remains to be seen whether closing the container locations is a sensible step. What is clear, however, is that the city administration is required to develop a clear plan for the future of asylum seekers in the Elbe city and at the same time reduce the financial burden.