Wengen in turmoil: Secret asylum plans cause protests and discontent!

Wengen in turmoil: Secret asylum plans cause protests and discontent!

In Wengen, the planned refugee accommodation in the former “Gasthof Engel” is causing enormous resentment among the residents. The Oberallgäu district office plans to accommodate up to 50 asylum seekers there, but has failed to inform the affected residents and the community in advance. 87-year-old Sieglinde Möslang expresses her displeasure about this lack of communication particularly loudly. She has owned two condominiums in the “Engel” for over 40 years and doesn’t take kindly to the district office’s information policy, which she finds inadequate. Mayor Florian Schmid and the local council were also not involved in the decisions.

The district office defends itself by explaining that early information could lead to uncertainty. Nevertheless, there have already been protests against this information policy. The tenancy for the accommodation began on July 1st, and asylum seekers are expected to move in as soon as the house is furnished. The property is looked after by a manager and monitored at night by a security service to address the concerns of residents.

experiences and concerns

Wengen has already had experience with asylum seekers; refugees lived there between 2015 and 2020, including some Ukrainian citizens who currently live in the community. Despite these experiences, the infrastructure in Wengen is weak. Rare bus connections and a lack of social meeting places do not make the integration of the new residents any easier.

Mayor Schmid is therefore calling for more transparency and open communication between the municipality and the district office. The declining willingness to communicate is also in the context of a growing number of refugees in Germany, which presents municipalities with major challenges in terms of housing provision and integration. As the study by the Protest Institute shows, transparent planning of refugee accommodation is essential to reduce prejudices and create trust.

Similar to Wengen, other communities, such as Warngau, are also experiencing heated disputes over the accommodation of asylum seekers. There were tumultuous scenes at a citizens' meeting there, and District Administrator Olaf von Löwis was booed during his appearance, which illustrates the explosiveness of the issue. Residents in many regions are expressing similar concerns about safety and possible property damage if larger accommodations, such as those in Warngau with space for up to 500 people, are to be set up. In some cases, such developments lead to massive protests and resistance that are even mobilized nationwide.

So the problem seems to be bigger than just a local concern. A comprehensive common solution is needed to deal constructively with the situation. The commitment of civil society, such as in the “Warngau is human” initiative, plays a central role. The challenge remains to find the balance between the obligation to accommodate refugees and the reactions of the population.