New refugee accommodation: Peitinger Asylum Aid Group warns - "It's not enough to put up the house"

Created: 09/29/2022, 16:00

By: Christopher Peters

Gabriele Sanktjohanser (left) and Sabine Haser in the meeting café, for which the Asylum Aid Group is looking for support.

© Hans-Helmut Herold

With the planned large refugee accommodation in Peiting, the topic of asylum in the market town is moving to the fore again.

At the municipal council meeting on Tuesday, the local group of helpers gave an insight into their work and made it clear that without more support, additional tasks would not be possible.

Peiting – It was not the first time that Gabriele Sanktjohanser and Sabine Haser spoke in the Peiting municipal council.

Since 2014, the two women from Peiting have been very committed to the asylum helpers' circle in the market town, especially in the early days, both of whom were often guests of the committee to provide information about the situation on site.

Haser and Sanktjohanser did the same this time.

Around 90 adults and 80 children from a wide variety of nations are currently being looked after by the helpers, Haser reported.

Many have gained a foothold in the market town in recent years, have become self-employed, have started an apprenticeship and found work.

Schools and daycare centers have also done a great job with the integration, Sanktjohanser praised.

"These are successes that motivate me to keep going."

Aid group is groping in the dark when it comes to Ukraine refugees

The group of helpers is currently also taking care of seven Ukrainians.

"These are the ones we know where they live." It is not known how many were accommodated in Peiting.

"We don't get this information from the district office." Mayor Peter Ostenrieder spoke at the meeting of around 70 people from Ukraine in town, but it was difficult to give an exact number.

"There is a high turnover." Many are housed privately, until they register with the community, it takes time.

In order to still reach the Ukrainian refugees, Sanktjohanser explained that a Whatsapp group was set up, through which all those registered there are provided with information.

According to the helpers' group, finding a place to live is generally a big problem.

This is difficult for Germans, but it is almost impossible for refugees to find accommodation.

This is where politics is called for, stressed Sanktjohanser.

This also applies to the issue of asylum social work.

There are too few positions, sometimes one employee is responsible for four locations, she complained.

Something urgently needs to be done here, “at the latest when the new accommodation arrives”.

The number of helpers has shrunk sharply in recent years

Haser had already emphasized that the facility on Seestraße, which, as reported, is supposed to offer up to 144 places for refugees, is viewed critically by the circle of helpers when the plans were presented at the previous municipal council meeting.

The number of helpers has fallen from over 100 to just eight in recent years, so Haser made it clear once again that additional tasks cannot be carried out.

But it is also a fact: “If 144 people live there, you need support.

It is not enough to put down the house.”

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The municipal council was aware of this.

Josef Sellmaier (BVP) warned of a "social hotspot" that could arise there.

He called for the helpers to be involved in the planning.

Ostenrieder was able to report that there was a corresponding offer from the district office.

As far as asylum social work is concerned, there is a personnel key that is observed.

But that alone is not enough, Haser added.

“No one has been accompanied by this yet.” Even if it is desirable, the specifications cannot be changed, the mayor made clear.

"We have to make sure that we can do it together." In doing so, one is dependent on the help of volunteers.

The goal must therefore be to find more supporters for the circle of helpers.

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A group of helpers is looking for reinforcements for the meeting café

Michael Deibler saw it that way too.

The CSU faction leader, who did not share the fear of a social hot spot, appealed to everyone in Peiting to think about how they could get involved.

Instead, everything will be done to ensure that it does not come to that.

According to Haser and Sanktjohanser, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the volunteer group.

For example, the meeting café has been reactivated, for which one is still desperately looking for volunteer supervisors.

Contact:

Anyone who wants to support the asylum helpers' group in Peiting can find all the information at asyl-peiting.de.

You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.