Saxony

The helpers of Bautzen

Since onlookers at a fire in a refugee hostel applauded, has the reputation of Bautzen suffered. All the more to try the Bautzener solutions for the refugee crisis to find, says Ben Knight from Saxony.

Bautzen seems at first glance to be open to other cultures. On the sign at the train station is next to the German and the Sorbian Name of the city: Budysin. The Sorbs are a Catholic, Slavic minority in this part of the state of Saxony near the border to the Czech Republic. Also all the street signs in the picturesque tourist town are bilingual.

Last weekend showed the city but from a different side. The former Husarenhof-Hotel, the soon 300 refugees home to should be burned. Many go by arson. The new residents should in the coming weeks to move in. After Polizeiangaben gathered about 20 to 30 people, some of them drunk, in front of the burning building, cheered for the flames, and shouted xenophobic slogans. Two men were arrested, because the fire disabled.

In the gray light of Monday is far less excitement at the place of action. A single police car parked in the vicinity. The few passers-by, to the burnt-out building come to condemn the incidents from the weekend. Someone has a sign on a fence hung with the words: “Are you satisfied now?! Accommodations destroyed industry destroyed – Bautzens reputation is destroyed!”

Many Bautzen are shocked about the incidents from the weekend

The senselessness of the incident is weighing heavily on the inhabitants. “That’s what happens when you went into other countries,” says an elderly man, his name will not name. “These NATO interventions in Libya and Iraq, and that’s it. And our government has all this support.”

“We must Express our solidarity with the refugees,” he adds. But a few sentences later, he makes his dissatisfaction air about what last year happened. Particularly, a popular resort along a lake near a Refugee has been rebuilt.

Criticism of Merkel

Christian Haase looks the similar. The retired engineer founded a citizens ‘ initiative, as last year it was announced that the Park behind his house, in a shelter for 300 refugees rebuilt, should be a violation of the guidelines of the country, according to which an accommodation is not more than 150 residents are allowed to have.

Haase refuted all of the prejudices in the German Flüchtlingsdebatte. He is regarded as a “do-gooder”, he has for refugees donated and where it went, the new neighbor supports. But he also criticizes the asylum policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel. “A Syrian Couple has gratitude almost cried when I give you a bed in the accommodation as I have,” he says. “The Problem is absolutely not the people that come in. The Problem is the refugee policy.”

The purpose of the Initiative, says Haase, is it a “work plan” is set up, in order to conflicts on the spot to solve. The 50 members collect the complaints of the people and carry you at a monthly Meeting with the local immigration authorities. Then try to find a solution.

Sometimes these solutions are perfect for the expertise of a German engineer, retired: As Haase noted that many of the refugees during the Cycling German road traffic regulations do not observe, he gave Verkehrsunterricht for children and adults, and repaired in addition, broken bicycles.

But other problems can Haase himself with his technical knowledge, difficult or even impossible to solve: neighbors complain regularly about the noise in the accommodation, particularly by playing children. He says the Problem could be easily solved if a Playground from the houses of the neighbors away to be built. “This is something, what you could do,” he says. “If you ask me, are the operators of the accommodation determined, as little as possible money to invest.” Of course Germany can people take, ” he says. “But not in the speed, as currently. We had a Million in a year, how should the Integration work. This amount in this short time, that is just too much.”

No involvement of the Locals

The owner of the business parks has quickly realized that he with the accommodation of refugees able to make more money, as with the lease of commercial premises to companies.

Haase says that all this had happened without the Locals something to say. “The authorities would do differently,” he laments. “It is like an ambush: You will be surprised and all the contracts are already signed. There is no discussion with the people. And of course this is a Problem, because the people believe that their opinion counts for nothing.”

As a result of the protests was the citizens ‘ initiative for the permanent representatives at the monthly discussions with the local immigration authorities. For the next Meeting in March looking for Haase, according to representatives on Flüchtlingsseite, participate in the discussion, “if you are English or speak English”.

With the fire of the Husarenhofs wants to Haase have nothing to do, not only because of its violence declines: “What have the achieved? They have ensured that it will be there for some months, no Refugee, but the refugees have somewhere else to be housed. It is pointless.”