Decentralised accommodation for refugees is possible

Counselling helped in individual cases – structural barriers remain

As part of the project ‘Improving reception conditions for asylum seekers, persons entitled to protection and persons entitled to temporary protection in Brandenburg’ (VASiB), researchers from the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), in collaboration with various organisations within the Cooperation for Refugees in Brandenburg (KFB), examined both the experiences of those affected and the structural framework conditions governing accommodation. In many individual cases, it proved possible to place refugees in private flats. Promising avenues to private housing were found through local housing associations and informal networks. Structurally, however, they continue to face major hurdles when moving out of collective accommodation.

Housing is a matter of policy

The Sociology for Social Work chairattheBTU, together with the KFB, emphasises that how refugees are housed is a political decision. Compared with the rest of Germany, Brandenburg relies particularly heavily on centralised collective accommodation, even though the State Reception Act expressly grants districts and independent cities the flexibility to arrange decentralised accommodation in private flats. At the same time, BTU research shows that districts and independent cities make very different use of this discretion. Decentralised accommodation is possible and has, for example, also been facilitated in the context of receiving Ukrainian persons entitled to protection.

“The type of accommodation is a political decision and has serious consequences for the lives of refugees and for social cohesion in the region. Our research makes it clear that Brandenburg should make use of the existing scope to expand access to decentralised and self-determined housing. This creates better conditions for self-determination, social participation and a successful settlement,” says BTU Prof. Dr Birgit Behrensen, who provided academic support for the project.

Collective accommodation as a burden, a home of one’s own as a source of security

The qualitative research project VASiB traces how expensive collective accommodation is experienced by those affected as a place of external control, surveillance and psychological strain. The lack of a safe place of retreat also has an impact on other areas of life – such as language acquisition and health. Having one’s own home, on the other hand, means security, dignity and autonomy.

Results to be incorporated into follow-up project

With the completion of VASiB, the findings will be carried forward into the follow-up project ‘Living Together Locally – Spaces for Diversity and Cohesion’ (MvO). MvO is committed to equal rights, the social participation of people with refugee and migration backgrounds, and a society based on solidarity in Brandenburg.

Open-access publication: Hasenjürgen, M. and Behrensen, B. (2026): Living and Settling in Brandenburg. Final report of the accompanying research on the VASiB project. MIKOWA Working Papers, No. 9. 

Contact
 Prof. Dr Birgit Behrensen
Chair of Sociology for Social Work
T +49 (0)355 5818 433
E Birgit.Behrensen@b-tu.de
www.b-tu.de/fg-soziologie