Illegally substantial funds, approximately 100 million euros, have seemingly gone unchecked towards securing asylum in Berlin.
The Court of Auditors in Berlin has revealed violations of procurement law in contracts for security services at the Tegel refugee accommodation, raising concerns about potential governance issues [1]. This comes amid the large-scale influx of Ukrainian refugees following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In early 2022, the former Tegel Airport was repurposed as a temporary shelter to handle this refugee crisis in Berlin, housing thousands amid emergency provisions [2][3]. The Tegel facility, the largest and most expensive in Germany, operated at a cost of approximately 298 million euros in 2023.
The security service at Tegel accounted for approximately 250,000 euros per day, including a 15% surcharge. However, invoices for this service did not comply with procurement regulations, indicating procedural or contractual breaches in management [1]. The Court of Auditors has criticized the lack of invoice scrutiny in this matter.
Despite the procurement violations, the incumbent provider was awarded the contract at Tegel again at the end of 2023, following a retendering of the contract [4]. The Tegel facility will reopen in 2026 as an EU-compliant reception center, offering more private space for up to 2600 refugees.
While explicit references to conflicts of interest in the management of the Tegel facility are not detailed in the available search results, procurement law violations often correlate with potential governance or management issues worth further investigation [1].
For a deeper inquiry into legal documents, administrative audits, or court decisions regarding this case, those would likely be found in official Berlin city government or audit court publications beyond these summaries.
Sources:
[1] Berlin Court of Auditors (2023). Report on the Procurement of Security Services at Tegel Refugee Accommodation. Retrieved from [link]
[2] Berlin Senate Department for the Interior, Sports and Culture (2022). Tegel Airport Transformed into Refugee Shelter. Retrieved from [link]
[3] Deutsche Welle (2022). Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Find Temporary Home at Berlin's Tegel Airport. Retrieved from [link]
[4] Berlin Senate Department for the Interior, Sports and Culture (2023). Retendering of Contract at Tegel. Retrieved from [link]
- The revelations of procurement law violations in Tegel refugee accommodation's security services have sparked concerns about potential governance issues, often associated with business and political sectors, as well as general-news and crime-and-justice categories.
- The non-compliant invoices for Tegel's security services, accounting for about 250,000 euros per day, raise questions about the financial management of the facility, a significant part of the overall refugee accommodation budget in Berlin.
- Despite the identified procurement law violations and the Court of Auditors' criticism, the incumbent provider was granted the contract at Tegel for another year, highlighting the need for increased scrutiny and transparency in finance, business, politics, and crime-and-justice sectors.
