Refugee accommodation

Against the backdrop of the continuing increase in the number of refugees worldwide and in Germany, the accommodation and integration of refugees remains a major challenge for local authorities. At a first public information event on January 24, 2024 in the BadnerHalle, the city administration informed residents about the current situation in Rastatt. Citizens were also able to ask their questions on site and submit them in advance by email.

Questions and answers on the subject of refugee accommodation

How many refugees are currently living in Rastatt?

There are currently (as of January 2024) around 1,200 refugees living in Rastatt. Around half of these are divided between the shared accommodation provided by the district of Rastatt and the follow-up accommodation in the town of Rastatt.

Where do people come from?

People from Turkey, Afghanistan, Georgia and Syria are currently living in the accommodation facilities in the district of Rastatt. As of February 2024, the city mainly accommodates people from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Georgia, Cameroon and Somalia as well as from Iraq, Turkey and Iran.

Which people come to Rastatt?

It is mainly families who come, but also single people. In the case of single people, the ratio of single women to men is around 1:2.

What type of accommodation is the city of Rastatt responsible for?

Local authorities are responsible for subsequent accommodation, which only begins once people have been living in Germany for a while in so-called temporary accommodation in the districts. In most cases, their asylum procedure has already been completed by then. The districts then assign the people from their accommodation to the towns and municipalities.

The follow-up accommodation can take place in accommodation provided by the city or, even better, in private accommodation. However, the city is dependent on housing from third parties for this.
The district is responsible for temporary accommodation. Refugees usually stay there until their asylum procedure has been completed. The district currently operates four shared accommodation facilities in Rastatt, while the town has five larger facilities for subsequent accommodation.

Which locations are under discussion for further accommodation in Rastatt?

The Rastatt municipal council has decided that the former Merzeau barracks in Kehler Straße and the former Martha-Jäger-Haus in Herrenstraße will be used for follow-up accommodation until at least the end of September 2026. The administration is also currently examining whether the old technical town hall at Platanenstrasse 7 can be used and whether apartments can be rented for two years for emergency accommodation in the high-rise building in Plittersdorfer Strasse. Three other locations are also under discussion for the construction of mobile buildings: Oberwaldstraße 40 in Rastatt-West, Am Oberwald in Ottersdorf and Am Schäferrain 2 in Rauental. The location in Fährstraße in Plittersdorf is also being examined for longer-term accommodation.

According to the municipal council resolution from September 2023, the plan is to build emergency accommodation at Platanenstrasse 7. What exactly does emergency accommodation mean?

Emergency accommodation is temporary accommodation that is not intended to be permanent. This includes a sufficiently large room that offers protection from the weather, simple sanitary facilities and appropriate furnishings. Approximately ten square meters are provided per person.

Can we expect new residents to move in and out of emergency accommodation virtually every day?

The occupancy of shared accommodation for subsequent accommodation is in line with the district's allocations. Experience has shown that this does not result in any major fluctuation. People usually stay for many months as they rarely find private accommodation.

Why did the city of Rastatt opt for emergency accommodation in a purely residential area in Rastatt-West with mainly families?

The planned accommodation of refugees in residential areas makes it possible to support people in need without affecting the character of the neighborhood. This use is therefore legally permissible at the proposed locations. At all three locations - Plittersdorfer Straße, Draisstraße and Platanenstraße - only temporary accommodation for refugees has been planned to date.

According to the city's plan, why are two locations in Rastatt-West temporary with the exception of Platanenstraße 7?

The temporary nature of the Plittersdorfer Strasse 1a building is due to the contractual relationship with the property owner. The Am Oberwald/Draisstrasse site is intended for the long-term expansion of the adjacent Mercedes plant. The building in Platanenstrasse is owned by the city and is currently not required for any other purpose.

How many refugees should the West district expect if three locations (Plittersdorfer Strasse, Draisstrasse and Platanenstrasse) are actually planned?

It is not planned to use the three locations as accommodation at the same time. An exact number cannot be given at present, but it will not allow the district of around 8,000 inhabitants to grow beyond its limits.

Is an increase in crime, damage to property and vandalism to be expected?

Such a development has not been observed at the previous locations and is also not reflected in the police crime statistics. Conflicts can arise within the accommodation due to the close living situation and the different backgrounds. However, these can usually be resolved with the people concerned and are not relevant in the area surrounding the accommodation.

Will the value of the property fall if a new home is built?

Whether property values have been impaired and the reasons for this can only be assessed in the course of an individual appraisal. In general, property prices in cities in the region have risen sharply in recent years, regardless of the population in the surrounding area. A slight downturn in the real estate market has been observed for some time - albeit completely independent of refugee movements and accommodation.

Why is the city sticking to the concept of decentralized accommodation? Or to put it another way: What are the arguments against managed centralized accommodation?

Back in 2015, the Rastatt municipal council spoke out in favour of decentralized accommodation for refugees with as even a distribution as possible in the city and its districts. The aim was and is to achieve the best possible integration. The care of children in kindergartens and schools cannot be left to a few facilities close to the accommodation either.

As people from a wide variety of backgrounds come to Rastatt, the city and district try to ensure that they are as compatible as possible when it comes to accommodation. This could not be guaranteed in centralized accommodation and would possibly lead to conflicts

Has the city administration already approached the Catholic Church to ask about accommodation, for example, the occupancy of the St. Bernhard educational building in Zay?

The Bildungshaus St. Bernhard does not belong to the city. It is currently used as a hotel and is therefore not freely available. The church rents out the Plittersdorf and Wintersdorf vicarages as well as Heilig Kreuz for accommodation for refugees. The church has no other vacant properties.

Every reception capacity is exhausted at some point. Has the administration of the city of Rastatt and/or that of the district ever considered where this point might be, particularly in the case of Rastatt?

The subsequent accommodation of refugees is a mandatory task. Neither the city, the district nor the state of Baden-Württemberg have any say in how many people have to be taken in. In the past, two cities have approached the state of Baden-Württemberg with the political demand to stop taking in refugees, but in both cases the obligation to take in refugees was rightly not limited. Federal and EU laws form the basis for the admission of refugees.

There is a vacant house in Veilchenstraße that belongs to the federal government. Couldn't refugees be housed there?

The city of Rastatt is already in contact with the Federal Agency for Real Estate (BImA) to clarify which federally owned residential buildings could be rented for the subsequent accommodation of refugees. The building in Veilchenstraße is currently not available for occupancy due to planned construction work.

In connection with the operation of the district's shared accommodation in the high-rise building in Plittersdorfer Straße, it was stated at the time that fire safety problems had been identified. Don't these problems also stand in the way of the currently planned use for follow-up accommodation?

In connection with the operation of the district's shared accommodation in the high-rise building in Plittersdorfer Straße, fire protection measures were already carried out in the past, at that time in view of the high occupancy density. An inspection was recently carried out in the part of the building with the apartments that have now been offered to the city for rent. An expert inspected the condition of the premises and the escape routes. The city will now rectify the few defects identified and adapt them for the intended use. In addition, the city of Rastatt is aiming for a significantly lower occupancy density in the apartments compared to the previous shared accommodation provided by the district.

Is the city planning to confiscate private apartments to provide accommodation for refugees?

The legal requirements for confiscating apartments are extremely high and are also impractical in the case of follow-up accommodation. No corresponding considerations have therefore been made to date. However, the city continues to call on people to register private living space that can be used.

The situation is different for city-owned buildings or facilities. It has always been pointed out that situations can also arise in Rastatt in which, for example, halls have to be used. Both the municipal council and the administration have continuously adjusted the accommodation capacities in the past so that temporary accommodation in halls was not necessary.

I have a vacant apartment that I would like to make available. Who can I contact?

Offers for apartments are accepted by Miguel Rodriguez, Head of the Youth Development and Social Work Department, phone: 07222 972-9100 or e-mail miguel.rodriguez@rastatt.de . He will also be happy to answer your questions.

What integration services are available in Rastatt?

The district has been operating an integration management system in Rastatt since 2018. The aim and task of integration management is to promote the individual integration process and offer help for self-help. In this context, the district also offers social counseling on all questions of daily life and is in contact with many other authorities.

The city of Rastatt supplements the offer and in particular facilitates encounters between refugees and locals, for example at the Café International or in cooperation with associations and volunteer refugee helpers.

I would like to volunteer in refugee work. Who do I get in touch with?

Rastatt is characterized by a broad network of volunteers who are active in refugee work. Anyone wishing to support this work can contact the city's Integration and Community Work department by e-mail at: integration-und-gemeinwesenarbeit@rastatt.de or by telephone: 07222 972-9200.


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