Hamburg's refugee balance: Over 44,000 refugees in the city!

Hamburg's refugee balance: Over 44,000 refugees in the city!

In the past ten years, Hamburg has done a lot to accept, supply and integrate refugees. The path was not always easy, but the city presents an impressive balance. Over 44,000 refugees currently live in public accommodations, spread over 227 locations throughout the city. To get an idea of ​​the dimensions: at the end of 2015, more than 26,000 refugees in Hamburg were looking for protection.

an impressive accommodation is the overseasering in Winterhude, which with over 1,500 places forms the largest of its kind. In contrast, the Bahrenfeld guest house, which offers space for only ten people. Hamburg now has more than 52,000 public law accommodation places, which means an increase of around 62 percent compared to 32,504 in 2015. Due to the geographical distribution of the accommodations, however, some districts, such as Blankenese and Sasel, are completely without refugee accommodation.

Change of countries of origin and gender distribution

The countries of origin of the refugees have changed over the years. While Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq were the main origins in 2015, most refugees from Ukraine come from Ukraine until May 2025. Another remarkable point is gender distribution: around 19,500 of the currently housed refugees are female, while 25,271 are male.

An important element to support these numbers is family reunification. Since 2015, 3,271 refugees have come to Hamburg through this process. This shows that despite all the adversities, the desire for family gathering is strong.

volunteer commitment and costs

The Hamburgers are actively involved in the integration of the refugees. In 2019, around 16.3 percent of the citizens stated that they are committed to those seeking protection - that is around 263,000 people. Recent studies, as from 2023, even speak of 90,000 committed volunteers in Hamburg who actively support. This support is funded by the city, for example by providing an engagement card and voluntary agencies.

financially, of course, all of this is not entirely irrelevant. In 2016, the costs for the care of refugees were around 900 million euros. In 2024, these costs could already be reduced to 550 million euros. A positive signal that integration can also be financially sustainable.

integration and employment

The integration of refugee people shows gratifying progress. By June 11, 2025, more than 38,400 former refugees have been naturalized in Hamburg. Around 31,200 are subject to social security contributions from the formerly refugee people from the top 8 Asylum Home-a number that has quadrupled since 2015 and underlines the high employment rate in Hamburg.

Since the end of February 2022, the war in Ukraine has led to an increase in refugees, which the city presents with additional challenges. The number of people who need a place in accommodation exceeds the available capacities. For this reason, several objects, including hotels, were rented as interim locations in order to create short -term solutions as soon as possible. The city reports these measures in accordance with the law on the protection of public security and order (suction) and are designed to accommodate the affected people quickly and safely.

The city has provided tickets for a better overview of existing and planned accommodations. Even if the current card display is not yet barrier -free, work is being carried out to provide an accessible version. Questions will be answered via contact options.

For more information and details on the accommodation options in Hamburg, the articles can be found on ndr and hamburg.de