Senate discusses refugee accommodation and speed limits

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  Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (6th from right) visits the refugee shelter at the fairgrounds.

• Signs for orientation show Ukrainian refugees the way in Berlin Central Station.

Aid for war refugees from Ukraine is one of the central issues of the Berlin Senate meeting on Tuesday (March 15, 2022).

Among other things, decisions are to be made on how to ensure accommodation and supplies for the thousands of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Berlin in recent days. Several emergency shelters, such as those at the trade fair grounds and at the former TXL Airport, are already in use, and an old terminal at BER Airport is being discussed as an additional space for accommodation.

New arrival center to open this week

A new arrival center with up to 3,000 beds is scheduled to open this week on the site of the former TXL Airport, and further additional accommodations are planned. The Senate wants to discuss the budgetary basis for the costs of such projects. The demand for more support from the federal government made by the state of Berlin will also be on the agenda.

Increase of state minimum wage planned

A decision to raise the state minimum wage to 13 euros is also planned for the meeting. There will also be discussions on the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, for example on the critical infrastructure in Berlin. Another topic is a bill from the Department for Urban Mobility. The responsible senator, Bettina Jarasch, has proposed to support the city initiative "Liveable Cities through Appropriate Speeds" The initiative wants cities to have more decision-making power for themselves when it comes to speed limits.