Statements

The elected members of the Berlin State Advisory Council for Participation condemn in the strongest possible terms the planned cuts to the district integration fund and other social measures in the draft budget for 2024/2025 by the Berlin Senate. These drastic cuts from 12.1 million euros in the current year to 7.9 million euros for the coming budget years are not only unacceptable, but also highly irresponsible.

The cuts are in direct contradiction to the agreements in the coalition agreement of the current governing coalition of CDU and SPD, in which an increase in the integration fund was agreed. Instead of this increase, the draft budget provides for a cut of 4.2 million euros, which corresponds to around a third or 34.7 percent of the previous funding. This is a clear breach of political commitments and a slap in the face for all those who depend on the successful integration and participation of people with a history of flight and migration, both in the city center and in the outer districts.

The increasing number of refugees worldwide, particularly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, requires increased efforts and financial resources for integration. The enormous numbers of refugees - 101,981 first-time applications for asylum in Germany in the first four months of this year alone - leave no room for cuts in integration work. With up to 300,000 more applications by the end of the year and an additional burden of war refugees from Ukraine, the situation is extremely serious. It is irresponsible to compromise integration work in Berlin in this precarious situation.

The effects of these cuts are already being felt. Although the number of accommodation places has increased in the last year, many people are being housed with private individuals without adequate care or in homeless facilities. Capacities in the State Office for Refugee Affairs are almost exhausted, arrival centers are overloaded and the social infrastructure in Berlin and the districts is under heavy strain. The district integration fund is an essential instrument that enables the districts to respond specifically to gaps in provision for refugees living in the districts. The planned cuts jeopardize this important work and have serious consequences, the costs of which are not yet foreseeable but will undoubtedly be considerable.

The State Advisory Council for Participation Berlin agrees with the demand of the State Working Group of District Representatives for Participation and Integration and calls for the 2023 sum of 12.1 million euros to be maintained for the coming financial years. It is of the utmost importance that Berlin continues to provide adequate funding to ensure the integration of refugees and maintain the social infrastructure.

Furthermore, cuts to other social measures in the draft budget are also worrying. The reduction in funding for the Berlin Network for Refugees in Particular Need of Protection (BNS) by around 20% is incomprehensible, especially in view of the already insufficient capacity of the BNS specialist offices. An increase in counseling capacity is urgently needed to meet the rising demand.

The cuts to the State Office for Immigration (LEA) are also incomprehensible, as the LEA urgently needs more staff and funding in order to meet the current challenges posed by refugee movements. Overall, this draft budget paints a worrying picture of a lack of prioritization and planning with regard to asylum and integration policy.