The Berlin Green Party has proposed replacing mass refugee accommodation facilities with apartments distributed across city districts whilst simultaneously expanding who qualifies for refuge, despite the city spending €2.1 billion annually on migrants.
The party’s election manifesto, finalised at their state conference last weekend, proposes ending mass accommodation centres that currently house the majority of Berlin’s refugees. Instead, the Greens advocate a “social housing program for refugees” placing migrants in apartments spread throughout all city districts.
This housing restructuring proposal comes as Berlin’s asylum accommodation facilities are already operating at full capacity and annual migrant housing costs have tripled to €1 billion within four years.
The manifesto also commits to accepting individuals displaced by climate change and environmental degradation. Philmon Ghirmai, the Greens’ state chairperson, stated: “This will be our government policy. We also want to reintroduce the admission of people affected by climate disasters.”
The party points to United Nations data suggesting 86 million people globally reside in climate crisis hotspots to define the potential scope of this commitment. Berlin currently hosts 37,592 registered refugees, a figure already described as stretching accommodation and financial resources.
Beyond climate migration, the manifesto calls for dedicated reception programmes for residents of the Gaza Strip and Afghanistan, with the party stating: “We advocate the resumption of the country reception program for Afghanistan and want to extend the model to Gaza.” Approximately 30,000 Palestinians already live in Berlin.
The Greens also propose allowing 20,000 individuals currently scheduled for deportation in Berlin to remain in Germany. The party continues opposing deportations to Syria, Iran and Afghanistan.
Berlin’s Senate received a detailed breakdown of asylum costs for the first time last year, revealing total migrant expenditure of at least €2.1 billion, representing 5 percent of the city’s entire budget. The city and others across Germany are increasingly approaching fiscal difficulties, in significant part due to record migration spending.
Crime data from 2024 showed foreigners responsible for 43.9 percent of all crimes in Berlin, whilst murders and manslaughter jumped over 50 percent compared to 2023.
Integration outcomes for some groups arriving in Germany have proven challenging. Afghans have recorded some of the worst integration rates in the country, yet the manifesto proposes expanded Afghan reception programmes.
The Berlin House of Representatives election is scheduled for 20 September. The Greens are currently polling at 16 percent, trailing the CDU, the Left party and the AfD. However, a red-red-green coalition remains mathematically possible, providing a potential pathway for the manifesto commitments to become official policy if the party secures sufficient seats and coalition partners.
