In the Augsburg district, a controversial accommodation plan for 440 refugees in a hotel failed. As the district office announced on Wednesday, differences between the hotel operator and the property owner led to the failure.
District Administrator Martin Sailer’s plan became known last week and led to strong criticism, and not just from residents. Augsburg’s mayor, Eva Weber, also expressed a lack of understanding and accused her CSU party friend of not coordinating an approach.
Sailer wanted to accommodate more than 400 men in the hotel in the freight transport center in the Augsburg suburb of Gersthofen for an initial period of six months from the end of September. “There has been no vote on the plans so far,” said Weber after the district’s announcement. “In view of the size of the accommodation with 440 refugees and the immediate proximity to the residential area in the Bärenkeller district of Augsburg, citizens have a right to information from the district.” Weber demanded a conversation with Sailer as well as the Augsburg police chief and the Swabian district president.
According to the district office, the property owner did not agree to the accommodation contract, but at the same time wanted to create 1,000 more places for refugees on an adjacent property. The owner simply wanted to benefit financially himself, said Sailer. However, a new contract with the property owner is out of the question for the district.