3,000 refugees in Bonn “The biggest challenge at the moment is integration”

BONN · The city of Bonn is using housing containers to provide shelter for refugees. Integration, however may be the biggest challenge.

Since February, Bonn has not taken in any more refugees. The city has used this time to create additional emergency housing. Six sports halls which were used as emergency shelters have now been emptied out. Since September, they are all back in use as sports facilities.

In 2015, the city was overwhelmed by the pouring in of refugees and it was the same in other communities. Sports halls had to be converted into refugee housing. “The city council decided to erect container housing units so that we don’t get into that situation again,” said city spokeswoman Monkia Hörig.

Nearly finished is a container housing area in Buschdorf on Otto-Hahn-Straße. Around 70 persons are expected to move there in mid-December. In Reuterpark, housing containers for 240 persons have already been constructed. They are currently being outfitted and should be finished in February.

It is anticipated that 240 refugees will be housed in containers constructed on Rheinweg-Süd, Moselweg and the Bahnlinie beginning in January. At this time, the city expects to use the container housing for up to three years, at a cost of 20 million euro.

999 persons have received housing assignments in apartments, 45 are in schools, and 86 in a hotel. Because of the high costs involved with hotel housing, the city wants to move those people out by the end of the year.

Coletta Manemann is the head of the Integration Bureau for Bonn and while she sees some positive developments in the work with refugees, she warns that there are serious challenges. “The biggest challenge at the moment is integration: intensifying the knowledge of German, educational attainment and work qualifications, apartments and finding jobs, transitioning from the role of newcomers in our society to fellow citizens. This is a big task for everyone involved,” said Manemann.

She adds that “We are really on the right path in Bonn.” It’s important that the asylum process goes quickly so refugees can gain a perspective of what their future looks like. She explained, “Those who already know that they can stay and bring over their families have clearly a better shot at integration than those who are still worried or waiting.” (Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen)

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