"We are continuously expanding our own state facilities. We currently have more than 80,000 people accommodated in the municipalities. We have also been able to accommodate 9,000 people in our state facilities. We can only ensure this accommodation as a joint effort," the FDP politician continued. However, he qualified: "It is the case that we are equipped for the current situation with the current structure. However, we also know that depending on the course of the war, we may be confronted with a much larger number of people. I hope today at the European Union Conference of Interior Ministers in Brussels that there will be a suitable distribution mechanism here." They have now also started to distribute refugees among smaller municipalities, so that there will be a "gradual relief" for municipalities that are under greater strain. However, it must also be "clear that we are dealing with traumatised people here, whom you cannot simply distribute from A to B", Stamp continued.

In addition, many refugees want to be close to Ukraine. "The people here all want to get back to Ukraine as quickly as possible. But I also told them that they are welcome to stay with us even if it takes longer. I think they should have that security," Stamp continued. At the moment, however, it is impossible to estimate how the number of refugees will develop in the future.

The Integration Minister was impressed by the work in the reception centre. "I am very happy and grateful that we can fulfil our humanitarian duty to help people here," said Stamp. The refugees are also very grateful, he said, and there are also play activities for the children so that they can laugh a little despite the difficult situation. "Our goal is for them to get a perspective in a North Rhine-Westphalian municipality or elsewhere," the minister explained. To better manage the refugees, he said, the state government had redesignated nine central accommodation facilities within the state's reception system to house those seeking protection from Ukraine as so-called "buffer facilities" and created seven additional, new reception facilities. The Bad Godesberg facility is one of the "buffer facilities". Ukrainian refugees are also accommodated in the Ermekeil barracks in Bonn. However, the reception centre in Bad Godesberg is a priority facility that the state has deliberately set up.

In Bad Godesberg, mainly women with small children are accommodated, the minister said. "It is very important to me: we are not creating first and second class refugees. But I think in such a situation it is quite good that young women with small children are in a facility where it is not predominantly young men travelling alone who are accommodated," Stamp told the GA. This, he said, was a "sensible separation“.

Stamp also commented on the pro-Russian motorcade that drove through Bonn on Sunday. He was "deeply ashamed", he said. "We have - also from our past - a very liberal and generous right to demonstrate, which unfortunately also gives everyone the opportunity to express themselves accordingly," said the Deputy Prime Minister. It is part of the freedom of expression in Germany. However, Stamp was "very, very concerned and ashamed" by the way the march took place.

(Original text: Maximilian Mühlens, Translation: Mareike Graepel)