Hamburg To Seize Empty Commercial Properties For Migrant Housing

Hamburg To Seize Empty Commercial Properties For Migrant Housing

Hamburg has become the first German city to pass a law allowing the state to seize empty commercial properties for reuse as emergency migrant accommodation. The move comes as more violence is reported in refugee centres across the country.

Called the “Law for the protection of refugees in accommodation facilities ” the legislation was passed last night,  just 24-hours after some 200 Syrian and Afghan refugees clashed in a crowded refugee centre in the city, leaving four people injured in the third such riot this week.

The massive influx of migrants has put pressure on a city that is already home to 1.7 million people and authorities have moved to find accommodation for the incomers. Some are sleeping rough outdoors leading to local tensions and inter-ethnic rivalries.