Several cities and districts currently no longer have the opportunity to take in war refugees from Ukraine. These include the two largest Thuringian cities of Erfurt and Jena as well as the classic city of Weimar, as a spokeswoman for the state administration office said on request in Weimar. But districts such as Eichsfeld, Saale-Holzland, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Saale-Orla or Sonneberg currently have no accommodation capacity and have therefore temporarily opted out of taking in refugees.
Thuringia has taken in around 30,000 refugees this year so far. According to forecasts, a total of 40,000 people are expected by the end of the year, mainly war refugees from Ukraine, but also asylum seekers from other regions of the world, said the spokeswoman. “According to their feedback, the situation in the receiving municipalities is tense.”
The potential for vacant apartments that have been prepared is “more or less used up” – but new opportunities are always being opened up, said the spokeswoman for the administration office. It coordinates the distribution of refugees in the Free State.
Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) announced that 49.5 million euros, which are primarily intended for the preparation of living space for refugees, can be called up by the municipalities at the beginning of November. There were delays because the decision of the state parliament was not published properly.
The country now wants to create more accommodation options than before. According to figures from the state government, around 800 additional places are to be created, including around 200 in the initial reception facility in Suhl and around 500 in a hall in Hermsdorf, for which an operator is still being sought. Ramelow had stated that Thuringia would not set up tents but would look for other accommodation options. There should be another meeting between government representatives and the municipal associations.
According to data from the state office, the number of refugees arriving in Thuringia every week varies greatly. However, in October, with around 200 war refugees, it was not as high as in the summer weeks, with sometimes up to 900 people arriving per week.
