Erfurt (dpa/th) - For the first time in months, the occupancy rate of the Thuringian initial reception center for refugees in Suhl has fallen below the 1000 mark. According to the Thuringian Ministry of Migration, 953 women and men were accommodated there on Thursday. "It is gratifying that the occupancy in the initial reception is falling," said Migration Minister Doreen Denstädt (Greens) of the German Press Agency in Erfurt. However, it is not certain whether this trend will continue.
According to the ministry, the occupancy of the facility has been above the 1000 mark since October 6, 2022. It is the largest refugee home in Thuringia. The facility is designed for normal operation with up to around 800 people. In the past few weeks, up to around 1,200 refugees had lived there at times.
Denstädt made two main factors responsible for the decline in numbers. "It helped us that the number of arrivals fell. But that can be due to the winter." In addition, the municipalities have made a significant contribution to reducing the number of occupancy by taking many people from the state facility in Suhl.
"Since the turn of the year there have not been any major complications and due to the willingness to accept the refugees could be distributed regularly," said the minister. There is no doubt that taking in refugees continues to be a gigantic task for the municipalities.
