Temporarily unused asylum accommodation has led to significant costs due to long-term contracts. A response from the Ministry of the Interior to the NEOS mandate shows that Stephanie Krisper has had to spend more than 2.5 million euros since the end of 2020. In total, approximately 13.5 million euros have been spent on vacant homes since the refugee crisis in 2015.
The facility in Schiefling alone cost approximately 386,000 euros.
Krisper is annoyed that an incredible amount of money is still wasted due to the mismanagement of basic services. The Court of Audit clearly explained what the government had to do: work together with the federal states to develop an overarching concept for an effective and economical approach to the reception and care of asylum seekers.
High rental costs
It is mainly the rental costs that make booking difficult. Over the past three years, these amount to approximately 2.3 million euros, plus another approximately 245,000 euros in operating costs. In addition to the healthcare facility in Schiefling, those on Lake Wörthersee were particularly expensive at around 345,000 euros and those in Korneuburg at almost 334,000 euros.
It should be noted that the facilities were not yet completely closed and some had already had their contracts terminated. At the beginning of December, only those in Leoben and Frankenburg were closed, even though they were not used.
Therefore, the costs incurred were not so high recently. Last year it amounted to around 143,000 euros. In 2022, the last of a strong refugee movement to date, virtually no facilities were closed, de facto only those in Schiefling. That is why this Carinthian care center incurred the highest costs over the entire period.
Criticism from the Court of Auditors
In a report published in early 2022, the Court of Audit criticized the fact that the Ministry of the Interior had concluded contracts for asylum reception for too long. The Ministry of the Interior referred to the large refugee movement in 2015. To cope with persistent migration flows and prevent homelessness, the top priority was to create additional housing options in the federal healthcare sector as quickly as possible.
Individual rental agreements concluded for 15 years
However, the Court noted that individual leases are binding for a maximum of fifteen years. Long notice periods further limited the ability to respond flexibly to changing circumstances. According to the report, the federal government had incurred more than eleven million costs for closed healthcare institutions at the end of 2020. In addition, there are now the 2.5 million since then that show the answer to the question.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
