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Refugee Council NRW "You can welcome many more people"
| Duration: 3 minutes
Birgit Naujoks (right), director of the Refugee Council of North Rhine-Westphalia: "I hope other communities declare also publicly their willingness to accept refugees "
Source: REUTERS / Jon Nazca, Private
The mayors of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn offer Chancellor more rescued immigrants in the Mediterranean. For the director general of the Refugee Council NRW a signal that "foreclosure" should not continue.
WORLD: Is the Mayor's letter a good proposal or a public relations campaign?
Birgit Naujoks: For me, this is not a public relations action in the clbadical sense. Because if this call succeeds, it will have a concrete effect. Of course, politicians always want to make a name for themselves, but that's not what I think. This is a good political signal if cities pledge to advocate for sea rescue and refugee protection.
WORLD: Do the three cities have the capacity to host other migrants?
Naujoks: In fact, there is a significant shortage of housing in three cities. There is also insufficient housing for many refugees and in the past, housing was sometimes catastrophic. Nevertheless, these cities have shown that you can welcome many more people. In this case, it is a limited number. Cities do not invite tens of thousands, but few people saved by boat
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WORLD:
Naujoks: We want all people to live in apartments and not in collective dwellings – in Germany there is no no social housing, not just for refugees, and many recognized refugees live in shared housing.
WORLD: What is the situation with integration courses?
Naujoks: There are already good offers in the three cities, but unfortunately also long delays. In addition, the clbades are not always appropriate: the mothers are dependent on the child care, if they want to participate in the next Schri It is then necessary to create daycare centers and schools
WORLD: At the federal level, it is a matter of reducing the number of migrants, there is now a very different signal. Is there a difference between federal politics and local politics?
Naujoks: The opinions are quite divided. There are also those who say that you can not absorb everyone – but let people drown, it is not possible. The mayors have addressed exactly that once. In this way, they absorb the mood of large parts of the population
The migrants were stranded in the Mediterranean for days
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Dozens of migrants are stranded off the Tunisian coast. The ship is only a few kilometers from the port of Zarzis. The migrants' boat was running out of fuel.
Source: WELT / Kevi Knauer
WORLD: Are you surprised that a politician from the CDU has signed the letter with Bonn Mayor Ashok Sridharan?
Naujoks: It's nice to see that indeed some politicians of the Union remember the C on their behalf. CDU is not the same CSU. It always depends on people. It shows that values also matter in politics
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WORLD: Wish other communities in Germany to write similar letters?
Naujoks: Municipalities can not decide for themselves whether they want to directly accept other refugees. For that, they need the consent of the federal government. Of course, such a letter is also symbolic, but if it is implemented, it has a real impact. At the same time, you send an important signal: It shows that foreclosure should not continue, but also another course is conceivable. I hope that other communities will speak publicly and will agree to accept the refugees
WORLD: What do you think this will concretely follow in this letter?
Naujoks: Germany has yes the last one agreed to receive the boat people saved. If these cities have contacted you, they will surely come first.
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