News Bilder des Tages Am Berliner Hauptbahnhof kommen Kriegsfluechtlinge aus er Ukraine an, DEU, Berlin, 12.03.2022 *** War refugees from Ukraine arrive at Berlin main station, DEU, Berlin, 12 03 2022

The state of Berlin is preparing for a further increase in the number of refugees from Ukraine. “We have to be prepared for a sudden increase in the number of arrivals to 1000 people a day,” said Integration Senator Katja Kipping (left) on Thursday at the meeting of the Social Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives.

In the past few days and weeks, an average of between 500 and 700 people from Ukraine have arrived in the federal capital every day.

Against the background of the continuing war and the beginning of the cold season, the senator expects the numbers to increase. Winter could pose enormous challenges for Berlin, she said.

An acquisition team headed by the State Office for Refugee Affairs is currently looking for further accommodation. The available places are becoming scarce. The Senate expects an additional need of up to 5,000 places in the coming months.

As reported, the “densification” of existing accommodation is also being considered. Senator Kipping explained on Thursday what she meant by that: Common rooms could be converted into bedrooms, or individual rooms could offer more sleeping places than before.

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According to State Secretary Wenke Christoph, the LAF is also looking for a possible location for further collective accommodation in Tegel. In addition to the arrival center at the former Tegel Airport, which is scheduled to move from Terminal A/B to Terminal C in October, an “additional reserve” can be created with the new collective accommodation.

The State Secretary also informed that Berlin is now organizing bus trips from Tegel to the main train station, from where refugees can then travel to other federal states. So far, the federal government had coordinated these trips.