The Federal Court of Auditors accuses the defense department of mismanagement in a heart project of the former Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU). In a confidential report from the beginning of August, the examiners write that the training program for Syrian refugees personally initiated by the minister was "both uneconomic and ineffective". The report is available to SPIEGEL.
The numbers the investigators researched are quite clear. According to this, only 217 refugees took part in four-week taster courses in 2016 and 2017 on topics such as technology, construction, sanitation. Cost: five million euros. For each refugee, the Bundeswehr spent about 23,000 euros. Similar programs of the Federal Employment Agency cost, according to the report, only about 1800 euros per participant.
The project was initiated by Leyen personally. Quite spontaneously, she announced at the Munich Security Conference in February 2016 that the Bundeswehr would train Syrian refugees in craft trades or as paramedics. The so trained refugees, reported by the Leyen, could then help with the reconstruction of Syria.
The Court of Auditors took a closer look at the project during a long search. The auditors found that the waste of tax revenue was due to planning errors by the Ministry. For example, for almost 900,000 euros interpreters were hired, as the German of the Syrians was worse than expected.
Internal examiners demanded demolition of the project
The biggest chunks but made the involved soldiers, they caused 2.4 million euros in staff costs - also due to planning errors. According to the 2016 report, there was "more than 1 to 1 care". In Oldenburg new tools were purchased for more than half a million euros, which the refugees were not allowed to use "for security reasons". In Meppen the trainees were checked daily by body search and by explosive detection dogs.
Even though an internal investigation by the responsible armed forces of the Bundeswehr confirmed that the project had an "unhealthy cost / benefit ratio" at the end of 2016 and urgently demanded the termination of training, the responsible working group ordered the Ministry to continue the program at.
The details from the report are adventurous. While the experts from the force reported that "a significant increase in efficiency does not seem feasible", the working group said the pilot phase was successful and recommended a continuation to the management. Even after the end of the 2017 project, the same working group reported to the Minister that the Bundeswehr had fully achieved the objectives of the program.
The balance sheet of the Court of Auditors comes to a more than meager record. Only two of the 217 refugees, according to the report, found a permanent job in the health and care sector.
The Ministry did not wish to comment on the Court of Auditors' report in detail, as it is classified as classified. By November, the house must deliver an opinion to the Court of Auditors. Basically, the test reports would "always be used as an opportunity to review projects and procedures and if necessary and possible to optimize," said a spokesman.
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