Status: 11.08.2023, 19:00 p.m.
By: Stefanie Zipfer
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He is dissatisfied with the federal government's asylum policy and raves about the "Austrian role model": Dachau's district administrator Stefan Löwl. © Bodmer
More and more local politicians are clearly criticizing migration policy. Dachau's district administrator Stefan Löwl (CSU) is now sending sharp criticism to Berlin – and to Munich.
Dachau \u50 Every month, two buses arrive in the district, each with <> refugees on board. There is no end in sight to the influx of refugees. In an interview with the Heimatzeitung, District Administrator Stefan Löwl talks about whether the trip of Dachau's local politicians to the federal capital has led to a change of course in Berlin's politics, whether other European countries may be dealing better with the issue of flight and asylum, and whether the AfD really has solutions to the problems of the time.
Mr. Löwl, what is the current refugee situation in the district?
Stefan Löwl: We continue to grow continuously.
What does this mean for people's housing situation?
We will probably extend the tent, which we have set up as an asylum emergency camp in Indersdorf, by three months and use it until November. Otherwise, we have also ordered additional container accommodation for up to 600 people, which we are now building at various locations in the district. And, of course, we are still looking for existing buildings to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees. As far as the occupancy of the gym in Dachau's Steinstraße is concerned, I currently see no prospect that we will be able to free it up in the foreseeable future. However, I would like to emphasise that our real problem is not the initial accommodation!
But?
The challenges associated with local care and integration and the post-placement period, when a residence permit is issued. There are no structures for the normal taking up of residence and all questions related to integration. Integration measures are only so-called voluntary services provided by the municipalities, with the exception of the necessary accommodation for the homeless. That's why I understand every mayor who says he doesn't want any more container settlements in his municipality. There is only a binding quota up to the district level.
What are the consequential problems?
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My Area
That people need housing. In addition, there are all other fields of integration, from education and language courses to health care and childcare. These are massive challenges! It is not enough for encouraging words to come from Berlin and to formulate theoretical goals or to initiate any pilot programs.
In other words, your trip to Berlin with the district mayors did not bring anything?
Let's put it this way: Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has at least recognized the problem. There is a bit of movement in the topic. Unfortunately, however, these realities have still not arrived in the entire federal government as well as in the government factions.
What would you like to see done?
For months, we local politicians have been formulating our core demands across party lines and throughout Germany, including the Bavarian and German district councils. What is needed are faster asylum procedures, a consistent repatriation of rejected asylum seekers and, please, no more distribution of people to the municipalities for whom it is clear from the outset that they have little or no prospect of staying. In addition, we need significantly better financial resources for the municipalities for the integration tasks and not just temporary funding projects.
AfD also has no solutions \u2012 Löwl: "Extremely dangerous false allegations"
How can we better integrate people who are allowed to stay?
This is a very important point, because we need people for our labour market. However, we in Germany currently have far too few incentives to take up work. The level of wages and social assistance is far too close together. I understand every Ukrainian who says: it's not worth working for the difference between citizen's money and wages. In my opinion, this is also one of the reasons why the employment rate of Ukrainian war refugees in Germany is significantly lower than in many other European countries.
Are we talking about isolated cases here?
Unfortunately, no. In many European countries, for example, social benefits are significantly reduced after one year. So Ukrainians come to us, because they simply receive more money here. We are currently clearly noticing that other European countries, for example former model immigration countries such as Denmark, Sweden or Austria, are massively restricting their support services. This is not the case with us, but rather the so-called change of jurisdiction immediately put Ukrainian war refugees on an equal footing with recipients of citizens' money. My impression is that many people in Berlin are simply turning a blind eye to the problems. In the long run, this is politically and socially dangerous.
Are you alluding to the AfD?
I want to say that the problems in our country – i.e. housing shortages, a shortage of skilled workers, an overburdened health and education system, decaying infrastructure – have been known for a long time and were there even before the refugees. The refugee crisis has only exacerbated these problems. So to say: "If you don't let any more refugees into the country, everything will be fine again" is a highly dangerous false claim.
Less welfare state, more meritocracy
Who has a solution then?
There are numerous successful immigration systems. In my opinion, the Austrians, for example, have shown in recent months how it can be done. And I would like to emphasise that I understand when large parts of the population are worried that we are overdoing ourselves in many respects. We are currently developing in the wrong direction in numerous policy areas, in particular we are overloading or at least unnerving the middle class that supports our state. I, too, am very seriously worried.
What has shocked many people in the district is that a community like Karlsfeld can no longer afford an indoor swimming pool.
I understand that. People have the feeling that we, as a state and municipalities, can no longer do our duty. Berlin and Munich are always coming up with new ideas and impulses. We want to fly to the moon! But we can't manage to run an indoor pool anymore.
In other words, you are not enthusiastic about Bavaria's space program "Bavaria One"?
The program is certainly very important for the future of Bavaria and I support all impulses in research and future economic fields. But we must not forget about the indoor swimming pool, our roads and railways, the public buildings and many other things along the way. This is currently happening because the financial resources of the municipal level are no longer sufficient for the mandatory tasks.
So we need more or less welfare state?
You can answer the question yourself: If a full-time hairdresser with a small apartment in the greater Munich area has less money available at the end of the month than a woman who pays for her apartment from the job center and receives 503 euros in citizen's money, then we have a fundamental problem. And as a society, we can't afford this problem in the long run.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the district of Dachau on Merkur.de/Dachau.