Suche
Mein Konto
New refugee accommodation in Selmsdorf: Upahl closes in autumn!
In Wismar, a new refugee accommodation is being opened in Selmsdorf to support the closure of the old one in Upahl.
New refugee accommodation in Selmsdorf: Upahl closes in autumn!
A new refugee accommodation is currently being built next to the sports field in Selmsdorf. Work has already started to prepare containers that can accommodate up to 100 refugees. This accommodation will replace the existing facility in Upahl, whose building permit expires in October. The citizens of Upahl have already organized a vigil in front of the district council in Grevesmühlen to remind District Administrator Tino Schomann of his promise to close the accommodation in the fall. The Ostsee-Zeitung reports that the district administration also assures that the schedule for the completion of the new accommodation in Selmsdorf will remain adhered to.
The administrative court in Schwerin recently rejected an urgent application from the municipality of Selmsdorf, which was directed against the building permit that had already been issued in March 2025. The construction of the new shared accommodation, which will be built on agricultural land, is planned for a period of three years. The court's decision considers the building permit to be presumably legal because the legal requirements, particularly with regard to municipal planning sovereignty and building planning law, are met. According to the provisions of the Building Code, exemptions to accommodate refugees are permitted. MV-Justiz explains that the municipality of Selmsdorf can take advantage of the decision by filing a complaint with the Higher Administrative Court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The situation of refugee accommodation
The refugee accommodations in the Northwest Mecklenburg district are currently around 80 percent full. In June, an additional six new refugees were assigned to the district. These come from Somalia, Russia and Eritrea, which underlines the diversity of the refugee population in the region. The district expects its accommodations to be at full capacity, meaning the current capacity of 75 percent could be reached in the near future. Statista reports that around 352,000 asylum applications were filed in Germany in 2023, a record since 2016, which not least highlights the challenges of regional accommodation.
In addition to the building permit and the new accommodation, there are legal frameworks in Germany that control the asylum process. Those who are politically persecuted enjoy asylum in accordance with Article 16a of the Basic Law, while general emergency situations such as poverty are not recognized as reasons for asylum. In this context, it is important that the discussion about refugee accommodation does not only take place locally. It also reflects broader European debates on refugee and asylum policy, which often trigger tensions between member states.
For many refugees who come from crisis areas, safe accommodation like the one in Selmsdorf is indispensable. The ongoing war in Ukraine and the political crises in countries such as Syria and Eritrea are increasing pressure on the asylum systems in Germany and Europe. Regional politics faces the challenge of balancing these needs while taking residents' concerns seriously.