Ukrainian refugees continue to seek refuge in Germany. It is important to know that each region has its own peculiarities regarding the conditions of accommodation and further distribution of refugees. Find out more about the addresses of the camps that will accept Ukrainians in October 2024

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In October 2024, Germany continues to host a large number of refugees from Ukraine. More than a million Ukrainians are already in the country, and this flow is not decreasing due to the ongoing military operations in Ukraine. Accordingly, the German government is constantly updating the list of camps for displaced persons with limited accommodation capacity.

Main features of the distribution and operation of camps

Germany strives to distribute Ukrainian refugees evenly across its federal states to avoid an excessive burden on specific regions. This means that each state accepts a certain number of refugees, depending on the available resources and places to live.

Each refugee arrives at a so-called “reception center” or camp, where they are registered and sent to a specific region for further accommodation. It is usually impossible to predict where a person will be sent, as it depends on the current situation with places in the camps.

The most active federal states hosting Ukrainian refugees include:

• North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is the most densely populated state in Germany and continues to receive a significant number of refugees. There are large reception centers here, but due to overcrowding, there may be delays in placement.

• Bavaria is the second largest region with a number of large camps for displaced persons. Conditions here are usually better due to more resources, but the region has its own limitations on the number of people accepted.

• Baden-Württemberg - this region is also actively assisting with the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. The peculiarity of this state is its focus on helping refugees find work, which facilitates integration.

• Hamburg and Berlin are two large city-länder that accept a limited number of IDPs due to their high population density. However, they provide active assistance in social adaptation and employment.

Living conditions of Ukrainians in Germany and peculiarities of resettlement

After arrival and registration, refugees must stay in the region assigned to them. They can move to another region only if they have good reasons, such as official employment, marriage, or care for minor children. Official permission to move is required, which makes it difficult to change your place of residence at will.

Conditions in the camps vary from region to region. Some are well-equipped and have better social support programs, while others are operating at their limits due to the heavy workload. It is important for Ukrainian IDPs to choose the camp to enter carefully, as it is almost impossible to change it after registration.

It is worth noting that you will be able to get to some of the reception points only by your own car. You can drive a car with Ukrainian licence plates in Germany only for one year after your first arrival in the country. For detailed instructions on how to re-register a Ukrainian car in Germany, read the article.

Which federal states are accepting Ukrainian IDPs in October 2024?

Baden-Württemberg

• Karlsruhe (Durlacher Allee 100, 76137 Karlsruhe) - the center is open, but often IDPs are redistributed to other states such as Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. Since January 2024, the center has been accepting everyone, even those arriving by car. However, the car must be left outside the border crossing point in a specially designated parking lot. Only small pets no larger than a cat are allowed.

• Ellwangen (Georg-Elser-Str. 2, 73479 Ellwangen) - the reception center is open, but also often distributes to other regions. As of September 2024, the situation remains uncertain regarding the conditions for keeping pets.

• Freiburg (Basler Landstraße 16,79111 Freiburg) - the center is open until September 30, 2024. After that, IDPs will be accepted at another address. The center does not accept people who need special medical care. Pets are allowed, but must be on a leash and stay with their owners.

Bavaria

• The reception center is located at Dachauer Strasse 122a, 80637 Munich. From this point, the IDPs are distributed to different parts of Bavaria. Problems arise with those who arrive with pets, as animal shelters are overcrowded and the possibility of further accommodation with them is limited.

• Augsburg (Aindlingerstr. 16, 86167 Augsburg) - accepts IDPs with pets, but animals must be kept in separate containers.

• Regensburg (Zeißstraße 1, 93053 Regensburg) - the reception center also distributes displaced persons mainly to rural areas of eastern Bavaria. Information on accepting pets varies.

• Bamberg (Erlenweg 4, 96050 Bamberg) - this center is open around the clock, but does not accept people with pets. Most of the displaced persons are distributed to the northern parts of Bavaria.

Berlin

For car owners: leave your car in the parking lot and take the P3 bus in front of building 109.

For those arriving by public transport: trains from Eastern Europe arrive at Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station; from there, take a city train to Berlin-Jungfernheide station; the bus to the reception center runs from this station, stopping at Olberstraße / Gallesteig.

All the information about the Tegel reception center can be found on the service portal or by contacting the center's Telegram help group.

Hesse

• Gießen (Rödgener Straße 59-61, 35394 Gießen Ankunftshalle). The federal state of Hesse also accepts Ukrainian IDPs, but mostly people with first-degree relatives. If there are no such relatives, IDPs are often redirected to other regions, including Bavaria.

It is recommended to arrive before 20:00 on weekdays, as there may be delays in accommodation at other times. If you arrive late and don't have a car, you can contact the Bahnhofsmission in Frankfurt for temporary accommodation. From Frankfurt, you can travel to Giessen by train and then take bus #1 or 17 to the Sophie-Scholl-Schule stop.

North Rhine-Westphalia

There is a single reception point in Bochum (Gersteinring 50, 44791 Bochum), the primary reception point)

Saarland - Saarland

There is a single reception center in Lebach (Schlesierallee 17, 66822 Lebach).

Schleswig-Holstein.

1. Neumünster

Address: (Haart 148, 2359 Neumünster) - open for reception, but distributes to other locations.

2. Boostedt

Address: (Von-dem-Borne-Straße, 24598 Boostedt) - open for reception, but there are not enough free places. An important feature is that refugees with pets, including large dogs, are accepted here. However, according to some reports, in July 2024, there were cases of distribution to places where keeping animals is prohibited.

Thuringia

• Suhl (Weidbergstr. 10, 98527 Suhl) - this reception center accepts refugees only if there are vacant places. In case of overcrowding, it is possible to be refused admission, so when planning, you should take into account possible difficulties with accommodation.

Given the steady increase in the number of refugees, Germany is already predicting certain restrictions on the number of places in the camps. The government is calling for an even distribution of the burden among European countries, as the German accommodation system is working at its limits. However, Germany remains open to Ukrainians, especially those in need of immediate protection.

For more detailed and up-to-date information on specific displacement camps as of October 2024, it is important to contact local authorities or the official websites of German migration services.

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Ihor Usyk is the Head of Legal Department at Visit Ukraine

On the Visit Ukraine portal, you can get legal advice on migration law. Our lawyers will answer all your questions and, if necessary, help you collect, submit and receive the documents you need. You can order a specialist consultation or full legal support by following this link.