Refugee Council: New Refugee Facility "Resembles a Prison"

The Saxon Refugee Council has sharply criticized a new facility for certain asylum seekers. “We would certainly say that secondary migration centers are prison-like facilities,” Executive Director Angela Müller told MDR. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with making asylum procedures more efficient. But efficiency must not come at the expense of human rights and human dignity.” The Refugee Council, on the other hand, advocates for decentralized housing where privacy and freedom of movement are guaranteed.

Ronny Wähner, the spokesperson on domestic policy for the CDU caucus in the Saxon state parliament, in turn emphasized to MDR: “It is not a detention center—that must be made clear. It is an accommodation facility with certain conditions.”

Converted Center Since July

Since early July, the former State Departure Center in Dresden has been operating as a so-called secondary migration center in accordance with the new legal framework. Under the stricter asylum laws, federal states can set up such accommodations for those affected. People whose asylum proceedings fall under the jurisdiction of another EU member state—or who have already been granted protection status there—are required to live at these centralized facilities. The facility in Dresden is expected to accommodate up to 400 people.