Ukraine war and energy crisis: Dr. Peter Lüttmann and Dr. Marc Schrameyer call for support from the state of NRW in accommodating refugees
Rheine. “We mayors from the Steinfurt district look forward to the coming months with great concern” – this is what it says in a letter addressed to NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst, which Dr. Peter Lüttmann and his counterpart in Ibbenbüren Dr. Marc Schrameyer, as spokespersons for the mayors in the district, sent to the State Chancellery as early as September 5, 2022.
The reason: energy crisis and energy supply as a result of the Ukraine war are currently so dominant in the media that other issues are out of focus. In particular, the reception of people who have fled Ukraine – a task that has presented cities and municipalities with major challenges for months and will continue to do so. “The solidarity with the people from Ukraine is great,” says Dr. Marc Schrameyer, “but we are now moving hard at the limit of our capacities.”
The mayors fear that due to the rapid occupancy of what they see as insufficient facilities in the state, a great many of the Ukrainians who are still expected to flee will have to be distributed among the municipalities – without sufficient lead time. “However, the accommodation options in the municipalities are largely exhausted,” says Dr. Peter Lüttmann. That’s why the time factor is so important for the cities and municipalities, he says, to even allow for a realistic chance of creating more capacity. “The housing market is already under heavy strain, especially in the municipalities that have taken in a disproportionate number of people from Ukraine. We are now facing a strong competitive situation there.” Gym or container solutions should be avoided whenever possible. “All of us together have a duty to provide dignified accommodation for the people who are fleeing to us from the war in Ukraine.”
Therefore, the mayors of the Steinfurt district call on the state of NRW: “Do not let the municipalities down! We need your support, because we cannot manage this huge task alone.” One sees the effort of the state to defuse the situation, but: “Further reception capacities must be created at the state level to relieve cities and municipalities. The reality on the ground must finally be recognized, and action must be taken accordingly, quickly and unbureaucratically,” Dr. Lüttmann and Dr. Schrameyer declare in unison.