❓WHAT HAPPENED: The city of Bargteheide, Germany, decided to house asylum seekers in a senior citizens’ residential complex that was previously vacated under claims it was uninhabitable.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mayor Gabriele Hettwer, Social Democrat council members Andreas Bäuerle and Jörg Rehder, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) council member Sven Meding, and former residents of the complex.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Bargteheide, Germany; ongoing decision-making with no specific timeframe given for the temporary use of the complex.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The costs for the removal of mold and other renovation measures are manageable.” – Mayor Gabriele Hettwer
🎯IMPACT: Elderly residents were forced to leave their homes, while the complex is now being prepared to accommodate asylum seekers, sparking criticism and debate among local officials and residents.
The German city of Bargteheide has reversed its supposed plans to demolish a senior citizens’ residential complex on Nelkenweg, instead opting to refurbish it to house asylum seekers. This decision comes after all residents were vacated under the claim that the building was uninhabitable. However, following an inspection, it was suddenly determined that only five of the units required renovation, while the rest could be used as-is.
Mayor Gabriele Hettwer defended the decision, stating, “The costs for the removal of mold and other renovation measures are manageable.” She added that the city was preparing for potential increases in migration and claimed that the use of the complex was temporary, though she declined to provide a specific timeframe. The complex will provide 104 places, far exceeding the 40 additional spaces needed, to accommodate future migrants.
The decision has drawn criticism, particularly from members of the leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group, who supported the initial eviction of elderly residents on the grounds that the building was unfit for habitation.
Sven Meding, a council member for the notionally center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel, dismissed the SPD’s concerns as politically motivated, stating, “I sometimes wonder if it’s election campaign again. Should we accommodate the refugees in tents? The apartments on Nelkenweg are well habitable.” However, this avoids addressing the fact that German seniors were previously evicted on the basis that they were supposedly not “well habitable.”
Former residents expressed their disappointment at being forced to leave their homes. Frieda Miller said, “I feel very comfortable here and have lived here for 20 years.” Another resident, Dagmar Pardubitzki, added, “The apartment is really well designed, everything can be reached from here, and there is also a lot of nature. I would like to stay here.” Despite their wishes, the city has moved forward with its plan to house asylum seekers in the complex instead, a move consistent with similar actions reported in other German cities.
Germany has long been the number one destination for asylum seekers in Europe, and the number of immigrant arrivals is rapidly changing the country’s demographics. As many as one-third of young adults in Germany now come from migration backgrounds.
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