“The Federal Ministry of the Interior (…) intends the property located in your municipality, 4050 Traun, Zaunermühlstraße (…) as part of the basic service for foreigners in need of help and protection to accommodate/supply a maximum of 100 people from November 2022 for an indefinite period time to use”. The letter that landed on the desk of Traun Mayor Karl-Heinz Koll (VP) earlier this week begins with this sentence. It was issued by the state of Upper Austria.
Its content makes waves – in city politics as well as in the population. Said 9,900 square meter property is owned by ÖBB and is not far from the city limits of Linz.
“Unmanageable”
The Traun city government is now trying to defend itself against the construction: “It’s not that we don’t want to help, but we can’t handle this number of asylum seekers,” says Koll, who sees the federal government demanded above all to offer other quarters Looking for.
He also insists that if the container village were to be built, the Linz-Land district would meet its care quota by more than 100 percent. Currently, 146 persons entitled to asylum are accommodated in the basic care in Traun, in addition to 534 community citizens with a positive asylum decision.
Accommodation for asylum seekers must always be accompanied by sensible integration measures. This requires enough time, enough money and, of course, the willingness of those affected to integrate, says Koll. Even now, the possibilities for integration-promoting measures are limited, and there are no longer any free capacities in childcare. The city cannot provide any permanent quarters, i.e. apartments, because there is simply no offer due to the high population density. Koll fears that the construction of the mass quarters could change “the mood of the population”.
In the middle of a protection zone
Said area is also problematic for another reason, two-thirds of it is in a “protection and buffer zone” according to the Serveso guidelines. This is because there is a company in the immediate vicinity that stores many hazardous substances. According to EU law, people are not allowed to live in this protection zone, argues Koll.
There are also massive safety concerns from the fire brigade, and a negative statement has already been made. In this, the fire brigade pointed out that on the one hand the high number of people to be evacuated was problematic. On the other hand, it can also be assumed that, due to the language barrier, it would be difficult to evacuate the neighborhood in the event of an emergency. From the point of view of the fire brigade, the establishment of such a basic supply quarters at the planned location should be avoided, it is to be read in conclusion.
Resolution in the municipal council
These concerns will also be part of Koll’s negative opinion, which he has a week to submit. The container village was also a topic yesterday in the municipal council, where a resolution was passed unanimously. With this, the city is insisting on a balanced distribution of the necessary quarters in the federal state and throughout Austria. At the same time, support measures will be requested in the event that the quarter should be built despite the resistance of the city. This includes, for example, personal and financial support for integrative measures. The resolution is addressed to the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
The clear goal is to avert the construction of the mass quarters, Koll was told today. The municipality has no power when it comes to building permits, says Koll, here the exception provisions of Upper Austria apply. Accommodation Guarantee Act. If the federal government sets up containers despite the protection zone, the municipality will not assume any responsibility for the “endangerment of human life”. Koll’s postscript: Common solutions are needed, also in the interests of the asylum seekers: “After all, it’s not about numbers, it’s about people.”
Country: “Understand the worries”
“We understand the concerns of the population and support the communities with our offers in the integration departments in this challenge. The current situation should clarify the need for quarters,” is heard from the office of the responsible state councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (VP). The country is only fighting the symptoms with the communities, the problem must be tackled at its root – the influx of illegal migrants to Austria must be stopped.
Ongoing reviews
From the Federal Agency for care and support services, it can be heard that the situation in the federal basic service is challenging and the system has long since reached the limit of its capacity. There are currently many people in federal care for whom the states are actually responsible. A search is currently being made for locations across Austria, we ask for your understanding that we cannot comment further on ongoing reviews.
Source: Nachrichten
