After the chaos at the main train station, there is now again a lack of clarity about the Ukraine refugees: in Obergiesing, hundreds waited in vain for help.
Munich – Wrapped up warm, they stand in the shadow of the tall administration building. Some have been here all night. Hundreds of Ukrainians are waiting* in front of the Office for Housing and Migration in Werinherstrasse (Obergiesing) for an appointment. Here they should get cash, clothing and the necessary documents for medical care. But most wait in vain.
“We’ve been here for the seventh day in a row, we’ve only been waiting, but nothing has happened so far,” reports Katai Hamza (24). On Monday, he and his friend Ayoub Ezzraidy (27) waited in front of the office from eight in the morning. Again for free. At 10.30 am they are sent away, a bus would take them to another location. Where? Men don’t know that.
Chaos surrounding Ukraine refugees in Munich: There is great uncertainty in the queue
Mykola Kudinenko (39) has been waiting for seven. He stays even if the gates are already closed. He got the information that only the cases of 150 refugees are processed every day. But there are many more in line. “My motivation is the prospect of health insurance for our sick child,” says the father of three. His plan: if nothing works out today, he’ll spend the whole night here so that he can be sure of his turn the next day.
There is uncertainty in the queue. A Ukrainian uses a megaphone to explain the current situation. He is accompanied by some police officers. When he’s finished with the announcement, people flock to him. You have many questions. “We don’t have time for that,” says a police officer. After all, the announcement has to be repeated several times. Announcements from someone responsible? None!
“It’s shameful and badly organized,” says Lars Branscheidt. The man from Munich is married to a Ukrainian. Their relatives, the Bondarenko family, are now temporarily staying with them. Branscheidt is one of many Germans standing in line to help. The Munich resident doesn’t understand that you can’t apply for anything online. At around 11:30 a.m., the family gives up for now and moves away.
The municipal social department admitted on Monday that the office for housing and migration was not up to the current rush. However, we are trying to make adjustments in terms of personnel. The fact that the queue was so long has something to do with the fact that refugees who were actually accommodated in other cities or districts had apparently also arrived at the office in Munich.
The city braces itself for more arrivals
Meanwhile, the city is preparing for the arrival of more refugees. In Bavaria, 45,000 arrivals have already been registered. As of Monday morning, around 8,200 people had arrived in Munich. The hub is the main train station with a Caritas information point*. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann also wanted to get an idea of the situation there last night.
From the train station, the refugees then go to their accommodation. According to the city, 2300 beds are available in two exhibition halls, which will be expanded to accommodate up to 4000 people in the short term. A total of more than 6,000 places in emergency shelters and hotels have recently been organized.
For Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), the challenge the city is facing today is sometimes even more difficult than with the wave of refugees in 2015. Reiter: “Back then, the refugees arrived at the main train station, but were moved relatively quickly to other areas in Bavaria and Germany.” This is different this time. The federal and state governments are therefore required to support the metropolitan areas and to ensure a sustainable and sensible distribution of people as quickly as possible. *tz.de/muenchen is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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