Berlin-Tegel: Refugee shelter, poor services and huge profits
Despite the increasing criticism and difficult conditions inside the largest refugee shelter in Germany located at the old Berlin-Tegel airport, the contracts signed with the operating entities guarantee huge sums of money for these companies.
Reports have revealed that Messe Berlin, one of the contractors with the Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten (LAF), charges a 15% administrative fee on all expenses related to accommodation, which is the same percentage imposed by the German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz – DRK), although the total amount of their fees is not clear.
According to a joint report by the magazine 'Stern', RTL station, and the investigative team led by journalist Günter Wallraff, the operating cost of the center is about 428 million euros annually. Although the number of refugees residing in the center has decreased, personnel expenses remain high. For example, the Red Cross received about one million euros monthly in 2022 for management and coordination services alone.
Reports talk about serious problems inside the camp, such as deteriorating hygiene, frozen food, and the spread of violence and drugs, which has intensified criticism. However, the Red Cross denied any profit motive and confirmed that only actual costs are accounted for, with any surplus being returned.
In 2023, the center continued to operate with a large number of staff totaling around 1,400 people, despite a decline in the number of resident refugees. Both the Senate in Berlin and LAF acknowledge that the costs are very high and agree that this type of accommodation does not provide refugees with the opportunity to settle or integrate.
Despite this information, the Senate announced the continued operation of the center until 2031, with a reduction in the number of available places. A temporary central reception center for refugees and asylum seekers is set to be established on the former airport grounds in northwest Berlin. This center will receive all arrivals to the city starting next year and will provide about 2,600 places only.
It is noted that the use of Tegel as a reception center for refugees began in 2022 after the outbreak of the Russian war against Ukraine.