400 refugees are currently bursting border management in Spielfeld at the seams. The police feel abandoned. Governor Drexler promises a cure and sharply criticizes the European asylum system.
Nothing works anymore! There are currently more than 400 refugees in Spielfeld. This means that the limits of what is possible have finally been reached. Therefore, an admission freeze was imposed on the asylum seekers center, because the facility was originally designed for only 100 people. “We currently have no new arrivals, which has been agreed with the distribution center in Burgenland and the Ministry of the Interior,” said Robert Pontesegger, press officer at the Styrian police.
The director of Styria currently feels quite alone in Spielfeld: you “play” the janitor, hand out the food and also act as security. “But it must be clear that the police cannot solve this problem alone,” Pontesegger clarifies. That is why there was a summit yesterday with the BBU (Federal Care Agency), Caritas and the Red Cross. “It looks like the Styrian policemen will soon be relieved – and it is high time for that,” said ÖVP governor Christopher Drexler.
Together with regional councilor Doris Kampus, mayor Reinhold Höflechner and deputy police chief Joachim Huber, he got an idea of the conditions in Spielfeld. “These tents should not become permanent. But it is also becoming increasingly clear that the asylum system is being abused and has failed in its current form. If the second most asylum seekers in the entire EU arrive in Austria, things cannot go on like this.”
Almost exclusively young men in the field
Incidentally, the refugees currently have to be accommodated in Spielfeld due to a lack of quarters for up to ten days. “However, on average it is considerably less long,” says Pontesegger. The uncertainty among the population is understandable, but according to the management there have been no police problems to date. The fact that there are almost exclusively young men in Spielfeld is due to the fact that women, children and the elderly are enrolled in their own facilities.
“Situation no longer manageable”
In any case, it is clear to the governor: “But the situation here is no longer manageable. I urgently appeal to the federal government to relieve Spielfeld and Styria and to ensure a better distribution!” Social Affairs Minister Doris Kampus (KPÖ) takes the same view: “The situation here in Spielfeld is unacceptable. The federal government must therefore urgently remedy the situation and thus also relieve the population in Spielfeld and the region. We will also make this demand the subject of the conference of refugee counselors with the interior minister next week.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
