New accommodation for 120 refugees: A block for Seelscheid?

New accommodation for 120 refugees: A block for Seelscheid?

In Hochhausen, a district of Seelscheid, new accommodation for refugees was built in the form of containers. This cost an impressive one million euros and will be used by up to 120 refugees from August 2025, all of whom have recognized asylum status. Interestingly, many of them have been living in the region for years and taking German courses. Johannes Hagen, board member of the GKU, recently gave insights into the construction of the accommodation, which is not only a place to live, but also an important step in integration Cologne City Gazette reported.

However, the design of the property is causing mixed reactions from residents, who describe the building as a “block”. This could be related to the local conditions. The land on which the containers are located had limited design due to existing gas and water pipes. The area is not fenced and offers space for ten parking spaces as well as a small asphalted area with seating. Unfortunately, no playground has yet been created for children; The community is still looking for suitable properties.

Individual accommodation and community offerings

Among the 120 residents of the new accommodation, 16 are children. Most of the refugees are families or couples. Previously they lived on the old Thurn site in Neunkirchen-Süd. This is now to be converted into an innovation district. The sleeping rooms in the containers are equipped with three beds, lockers and refrigerators, and there are also communal kitchens, sanitary facilities and social rooms. There is no air conditioning, but the accommodation is intended as a temporary solution, with planning permission for an initial two years, which can be extended until 2030.

Residents have the option to move out of the property after two years, if the housing market permits. The residency requirement then no longer applies, which offers many real prospects.

Insight into current refugee policy

The creation of adequate living space for refugees is not only a current issue in Seelscheid. The situation is also tense in other cities, such as Berlin. The Berlin Senate is planning to build container accommodation for a total of 260 refugees at several locations in order to cope with the rush for accommodation. These politically hot topics influence the discussions about the accessibility and integration of refugees into society, which are accompanied by initiatives from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs bmfsfj.de represents.

By developing minimum standards to protect refugees in accommodation and initiating various partnerships, measures are created that particularly benefit vulnerable people such as women, minors or LGBTQ+ people. These ongoing efforts are intended to promote the integration and participation of refugees in society and to break down the negative perceptions often associated with refugee accommodation.