The number of war refugees from Ukraine registered in Berlin every day has quadrupled within 24 hours. While on Monday there were still 350 people who the Senate had to look after and, in case of doubt, accommodate, 1400 people were already presented to the authorities on Tuesday. The state government has long been looking for further accommodation options. It is becoming clear that the initially assumed number of 20,000 expected refugees, which the Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) named on Tuesday, is probably too low.
Berlin’s Social Senator Katja Kipping spoke on Wednesday of an “extremely dynamic situation” and a “dramatically changed situation” compared to the previous day. There is an “incredible jump” in the number of people arriving. Around 1,300 people arrived in the capital by train during the night.
In order to get a feeling for the situation, the left-wing politician worked a night shift in the crisis team of her Senate administration, as she reported on Wednesday morning. Main task: the coordination of the aid.
This help is now being given to those arriving in two main places in the city. Refugees can register at the arrival center of the State of Berlin on Oranienburger Strasse in Reinickendorf, receive medical first aid, but also get a place to sleep for the first few days in safety.
Volunteers welcome refugees at the main train station with food, drinks and blankets
The second point of contact is now also an information point at the main train station. There, volunteers provide the arrivals with food, drinks, blankets and send them to the shuttle buses that drive to the arrival center. She was “infinitely grateful” to the volunteers, said Kipping and announced that employees of the Senate administration would now also be involved in the information point.
The helpers had to cope with a special feat on Tuesday evening. A train full of refugees from Warsaw was delayed and arrived after 11 p.m. Five direct trains from Warsaw were again expected on Wednesday.
According to Kipping, the federal police are reporting the imminent arrival of the trains in Berlin. However, there are no indications of buses and cars crossing the border from Poland to Germany. This means that the number of people who have already come this way is completely open. Many would find private accommodation and would not be recorded. However, she knew of a bus with 120 Jewish orphans and 30 companions that left Odessa for Berlin, the senator said.
In order to actually create enough space for all those seeking help, Berlin must create “large-scale structures”, according to Kipping. She did not want to reveal where a planned large accommodation is to be built. According to reports, the former Tegel Airport, which is empty, is under discussion.
The empty Tegel Airport is a great place to stay
So far, every arriving refugee has been given a bed, said the senator. There are currently places to sleep on Emser Strasse in Neukölln, a former container village on Groscurthstrasse in Buch has been reactivated, further accommodation is on Rohrdamm in Siemensstadt and on Gubener Strasse in Friedrichshain. Another building was also prepared on the premises of the arrival center in Reinickendorf.
The districts should now search for further accommodation, as was decided at a meeting of the Council of Mayors together with the Governing Mayor Giffey on Wednesday morning. The district office of Lichtenberg, for example, is now compiling lists of possible accommodations. “It goes from hostels to hotels, but there are also other options,” district mayor Michael Grunst (left) told the Berliner Zeitung. Anything but gyms. “That would be the worst case,” says Grunst, the worst case.
Berlin districts are looking for more accommodation
It’s not that far in Berlin yet. Nevertheless, Senator Kipping is annoyed by statements by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf). A spokesman said on Tuesday that there is currently no large movement of refugees to Germany. “Such a statement stunned me,” said Kipping.
According to Kipping, one obstacle is that the question of the future residence status of Ukrainians has still not been legally clarified by the federal government. That makes the work very difficult. Ukrainians do not have to apply for political asylum in Germany, but can enter the country without a visa.
However, the procedure is still ongoing in the EU for Ukrainians to be recognized throughout Europe as war refugees with a residence status. Details are still to be clarified, but there are positive signals from Brussels. In order to provide the refugees with rapid protection, the EU Commission officially proposed on Wednesday that EU rules should come into force in the event of a “mass influx” of displaced persons. That would guarantee people temporary protection without lengthy asylum procedures.