There are currently 48,000 people awaiting immediate deportation in Germany, a process that can take years. The construction of departure centers, several of which already exist in Germany, is intended to expedite the procedure.
Küstrin-Kietz is home to 750 residents, mostly Germans, but there are also about a hundred Poles.
Before World War II, it was a suburb of Kostrzyn nad Odrą, separated from Küstrin-Kietz by the Oder River. Today, the towns are connected by a bridge.
On the river lies a German-owned island, which has barracks built for the Prussian army at the beginning of the 20th century. There are now plans underway to erect a container settlement on it for 250 foreigners who are awaiting deportation after failed asylum applications.
Around 15,000 Poles commute daily from Kostrzyn and the surrounding area to work in Germany. Consequently, the residents of Küstrin-Kietz have called for support from Polish local government officials.
Andrzej Kunt, the mayor of Kostrzyn nad Odrą, told Deutsche Welle: “Of course, we understand that the German state has the right to decide its own affairs, and we would not want to come across as a party that wants to force or impose something, but one can assume that there will be similar concerns on our side as on the German side.”
“Our residents may also be afraid that foreigners may try to cross the border, and this may involve increased border controls. And that is something we would not want,” the mayor added.
Fear and concern
The proposal has many Küstrin-Kietz residents worried about the consequences of placing people awaiting departure on the island. Local resident Thomas Strassenmeier told DW that he could not understand why his small village had been chosen.
“Such centers should be located near airports so that the logistics are as uncomplicated as possible, not in remote villages,” Strassenmeier said.
Fellow resident Gudrun Wurl expressed his concern, saying that asylum seekers, who had their cases rejected “know they have to leave. They have nothing to lose. How do we know what might pop into their heads?”
Similar fears have been expressed by those working for local authorities.
“The departure center is supposed to be open. Its residents will be free to leave the center for the village. Because, after all, these are people who haven’t committed a crime; they just haven’t been given asylum,” said Tino Krebs, head of the Golzow municipality, in which Küstrin-Kietz is located.
Friedemann Hanke, a district councilor and member of the German opposition, the CDU, elaborated on the rationale behind the selected location.
“The district supports the idea. The idea is to create a place on the periphery of Germany where people will realize that this is literally the end of their road in Germany,” Hanke said.
A decision on whether a deportation center will be established in Küstrin-Kietz is to be made in a few months.
