Citizens of Steckborn TG give asylum center opponents a rebuff
Published: Thursday, Feb 15th 2024, 22:20
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On Thursday evening, the voters of Steckborn in Thurgau clearly voted against a proposal by a citizens' movement. This was intended to close a federal asylum shelter.
After almost two hours of discussion, the residents of Steckborn voted overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the federal asylum center in their municipality.
692 voters took part in the extraordinary municipal assembly. Only a few dozen people supported the citizens' movement's motion.
The latter wanted to terminate the rental agreement for the asylum accommodation between the municipality and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), which would have resulted in the closure of the center.
SEM is relieved
In December 2023, the citizens' movement submitted 130 signatures from Steckborn residents with voting rights. This enabled them to bring their concerns to an extraordinary municipal assembly in accordance with the municipal regulations of the approximately 4,000 residents.
This was a first in Switzerland, as the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) explained to the Keystone-SDA news agency. SEM spokesman Reto Kormann expressed his relief. He is proud of this clear and democratic decision in favor of the asylum accommodation.
Citizens have been fighting back for months
Parts of the population in Steckborn had been resisting the accommodation of asylum seekers in the town for months. They stated that life in the historic small town on Lake Constance would be massively disrupted by the asylum accommodation.
Night, Sunday and midday rest were not observed. In addition, there is trespassing, theft, threats and harassment, roughhousing, relieving oneself and public drunkenness.
Police speak of normal security situation
The police disagreed. Jürg Zingg, commander of the Thurgau cantonal police, explained that there were no indications from a crime statistics perspective that the asylum accommodation had a negative impact on the security situation in Steckborn.
On behalf of the city council, Mayor Roland Toleti (non-party) spoke out clearly against the termination of the contract with the SEM. This would be completely unethical, lack solidarity and would be at the expense of other municipalities.
People with ongoing asylum proceedings
The federal government rented the civil defense facility in Steckborn in 2016 as temporary emergency accommodation during tense refugee situations. It stood empty for a long time. With the war in Ukraine, the facility was occupied in 2022.
Today, refugees from other countries with ongoing asylum procedures are housed in Steckborn for an average of 53 days. Numerous speakers spoke against the motion to terminate the contract before the vote. It was important to treat these people as human beings, said one of the speakers. "Let's remain human."
©Keystone/SDA
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