Following the tragedy in the Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesvos, several countries from across the EU immediately expressed their readiness to take in some of the refugees that had previously occupied the now destroyed facilities. Chief among those ready to take in some of the refugees was Germany with the federal government announcing that it can take in some 1500 persons and provide them with appropriate housing and conditions.
European solidarity on a local level
The city of Stuttgart, the capital of the region of Baden-Württemberg has already stated that it stands ready to welcome refugees from the Moria camp. Currently, there are some 5000 refugees that live in Stuttgart but the local administration is ready to house another 50 to 70 individuals without the need for additional preparations.
The Mayor of Stuttgart Fritz Kuhn stated that “Stuttgart has always welcomed people who are on the run. We can and want to help them in their plight. That is why the local council declared in the spring that we can take in more people than are allocated to us according to the usual procedure.”
He also welcomed the announcement by the German government, stating that “It was really time the Chancellor and the Interior Minister came to an agreement. The situation on the islands after the fires at Moria camp is getting worse every day. It was imperative that the federal government set this humanitarian signal and want to alleviate the misery of the people.”
Stuttgart is also ready to provide accommodations for any unaccompanied minors as the local youth welfare centre boasts sufficient capacity and has the capabilities to care for them and make them feel at home.
Source: TheMayor.EU
