The subject of the planned container village for refugees has kicked up a lot of dust in Schärding in recent weeks. Especially since local politicians only found out about the federal government’s potential plans in the media – the OÖN reported. The affected mayors Günter Streicher (Schärding), Bernhard Brait (St. Florian am Inn) and Roland Wohlmuth (Brunnenthal) then jointly wrote an open letter to the Upper Austrian Social Affairs Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (all VP).
In this letter, the three mayors expressed their major concerns about the planned location on Schärdinger Neulandstraße. “ On the one hand, it is not building land, but arable land that is cultivated. On the other hand, there is a flood protection area. In addition, there are two nightclubs in the immediate vicinity,” said Schärding’s mayor Streicher two weeks ago in an OÖN interview.
search continues
At the beginning of the week, the municipality of Schärding finally received a reply from the Ministry of the Interior. It states that the Federal Ministry is aware of the particular burden on individual federal states and municipalities and that the concerns are taken very seriously. In view of the difficult developments with regard to the recent sharp increase in asylum applications, the expansion of preventive capacities at several locations is currently being examined. The location in Neulandstraße is currently no longer being pursued. “We are glad that the activities that we have carried out together in all three communities are having an effect. The result was that Schärding is no longer treated as a container location,” Streicher is quoted as saying in a broadcast from the municipality today.
However, the search for alternatives in all municipalities in the district continues. According to the broadcast, all communities will be asked to help with the accommodation of refugees.
Source: Nachrichten
