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Brandenburg Advances Draft Law to Restructure Refugee Reception With New Transition and Departure Centers

The proposal seeks to ease pressure on municipalities by steering only applicants with a clear prospect of stay into local housing.

Overview

  • The state cabinet has approved the Landesaufnahmegesetz draft, leaving the Landtag to decide on the overhaul.
  • A pilot transition facility is operating at the Central Immigration Authority in Frankfurt (Oder), with about 400 places planned once it stands on its own.
  • The draft would allow stays in initial reception centers of up to two years for most adults, with families with children exempt from the extension.
  • The first departure center is planned in Zossen‑Wünsdorf with 200–250 places and a three‑month stay limit, while the initial reception site there is slated to shrink by 500 places.
  • Berlin and Brandenburg plan shared enforcement capacity, targeting a Lichtenrade deportation‑detention agreement by early 2026 and expanding BER’s facility into a joint entry‑exit center with federal participation.