The fronts in the dispute over the continued operation of the initial reception in Ellwangen remain hardened. While the Ministry of Migration points to constraints in the accommodation of Ukraine refugees, the city is sticking to its clear no.
Ellwangen (dpa/lsw) - Even after a renewed exchange between city and state, there is no agreement in sight on the future of the state initial reception (LEA) for refugees in Ellwangen. At a meeting of the municipal council on Wednesday, the CDU parliamentary group spoke out in favor of a "handling agreement", while the free citizens called for an end to the LEA and no contractual continuation, as a city spokesman announced on Thursday. The two factions make up the majority in the municipal council.
Both factions rejected the state's offer to set up the former district hospital in Böblingen as a successor facility in the medium term as too vague. The Greens and SPD factions in Ellwangen, on the other hand, spoke out in favor of continued operation. According to the information, the Greens could also imagine permanent operation of the LEA.
The LEA has existed since 2015. It should initially be operated for five years. In 2019, the agreement between the state and the municipality was extended until the end of 2022. The accommodation is designed for around 1000 refugees. Around 1100 people are currently housed there. This year, more than 140,000 people have already fled from the Ukraine to Baden-Württemberg. Another 27,000 people applied for asylum or were admitted on humanitarian grounds.
After the meeting on Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Justice and Migration emphasized that no decision had been made. A spokeswoman said the country had expressly pointed out the current dramatic access situation. According to the information, the ministry is still confident of finding a solution with the city for a temporary continued operation of the LEA.
Contrary to what the municipal council had hoped, the ministry did not give a possible end date for the operation of the accommodation. From the point of view of the two factions with a negative attitude, that would be the basis for further talks. According to the ministry, these are to be continued this week. On the other hand, next Thursday (December 8), the municipal council also wants to discuss possible legal steps in the dispute with the state, said the city spokesman.
Representatives of the Ministry of Migration had previously appealed to the municipal council again for understanding for the continued operation of the facility. Marion Gentges' (CDU) Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for migration, refers to the urgent need for the LEA in view of the strong influx of refugees, especially from Ukraine. An efficient and flexible initial reception system is indispensable in this situation.
The state government is still struggling to find a possible compromise. A closure at the end of the year now seems impossible. Ellwangen's Mayor Michael Dambacher (CDU) said on Wednesday that he assumed that operations would initially continue next year. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) had said before the meeting that it was actually not possible to leave the facility given the number of people who had fled.
