Massive protests in Lichtenberg: 1200 refugees in the old hotel!

Massive protests in Lichtenberg: 1200 refugees in the old hotel!

In the former Hotel Berlin City East in Lichtenberg, a large accommodation for up to 1200 refugees will be set up from next summer! This drastic measure is to relieve the overcrowded arrival center at Tegel Airport. The first 740 migrants will move in in November! The wave of outrage is already noticeable!

At a heated information event, organized by CDU MP Dennis Haustein, around 200 citizens gathered to protest the plans. The mood was tense, the discussions were high! Local residents said that the already overcrowded playgrounds and supermarkets in the area are burdened even more. In addition, the insufficient medical care in the district was denounced as a further problem. Some visitors left the hall angrily while the speakers were interrupted again and again, as the Berlin daily newspaper "Taz" reported.

Mayor is upset

District Mayor Martin Schaefer (CDU) let his anger run free and criticized the fact that the state of Berlin made such decisions without consulting the local authorities. "That makes me really angry!" He called during the event. In addition to the planned major accommodation, four new container locations are also to be built in Lichtenberg. The senior citizen, who spoke at the end of the event, suggested not to use all three high -rise buildings as asylum homes. Instead, one could serve for affordable senior citizens and a student dormitory!

Sascha Langenbach, spokesman for the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF), assured that the new accommodations will not be luxury apartments. The king -size beds in the hotel rooms are replaced by simple aluminum beds! He asked for understanding for the need for the asylum home and pointed out the unreasonable conditions in the tegel. In the long term, a school, a playground and a sports area are also planned around the old hotel in Lichtenberg. The district rented the buildings for ten years and 143 million euros. The question remains how the authorities will reconcile the needs of migrants and residents!