Conflict of refugee accommodation in Berlin-Dahlem: Uni against container village

Conflict of refugee accommodation in Berlin-Dahlem: Uni against container village

The discussion about the planned establishment of a refugee container village on the universe area on Thielallee 63 in Berlin-Dahlem ensures controversy. The Senate plans to create accommodations for 260 refugees there, but this is based on resistance at the Free University (FU). The President of the FU, Günter Ziegler, expressed resentment that the university management was not integrated into the planning. The university feels over and emphasized that it is fundamentally willing to support refugee people, but will need the area for its own construction projects in the future.

The FU points out that alternative areas for refugee accommodation are available, such as buildings of the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks near the Thielallee 92 location. In addition, there is criticism of the FU on the Internet, since the university is considered cosmopolitan and tolerant, but still shows resistance to refugee accommodation. Some users on social media accuse the university of only selectively campaigning for certain topics.

The Senate decided to build 16 more container villages in Berlin at the end of March in order to meet the growing need for living space for refugees. The planned locations focus primarily on the eastern part of the city, which could further tighten the imbalance in the distribution of refugees. Critics see this a challenge, especially in parts of the city in which increasingly resistance to refugee accommodation can be observed.