A shelter for Ukrainian refugees in Germany burned down in what a top German security official suggests may be arson.
The blaze occurred at a shelter along the Baltic coast, housing 14 refugees and three employees, according to Bild. No one was injured in the blaze, and the refugees have successfully been relocated to other shelters in the area. Police had gone to the same building days before after swastikas were painted on the door entrance, fueling suspicions that the fire was intentional.
Police say the fire started around 9:20 p.m., beginning on an outside wall. The fire quickly spread to the roof and then engulfed nearly the entire building. The building was almost entirely destroyed.
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“There was a fire in a refugee accommodation in Groß-Strömkendorf near Wismar. The police suspect arson. That would be cruel. The incident must be fully clarified. If the suspicion is confirmed, there must be severe consequences,” state governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the province where the blaze occurred, Manuela Schwesig tweeted. “I’m glad that no one was physically harmed. Many thanks to all the emergency services who helped on-site. One thing must be clear to everyone: people fleeing war need our protection and our support. We do not tolerate hate speech and violence!”
2/2 Ich bin froh, dass niemand körperlich zu Schaden gekommen ist. Vielen Dank an alle Einsatzkräfte, die vor Ort geholfen haben. Eins muss für alle klar sein: Menschen, die vor Krieg flüchten, brauchen unseren Schutz und unsere Unterstützung. Hetze und Gewalt dulden wir nicht!
— Manuela Schwesig (@ManuelaSchwesig) October 20, 2022
“This is terrible news. People who found shelter with us from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war had to be rescued from the flames,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, according to the Associated Press. “If arson is confirmed, it is an inhumane crime that will be prosecuted with all severity.”
The fire is just the latest of several arson cases that have occurred in the area over the past few weeks, according to ZDF, a German public-service television broadcaster.
Immer noch Rauch und Glutnester im abgebrannten Flüchtlingsheim in der Gemeinde Blowitz. MP @ManuelaSchwesig zeigt sich erschüttert vor Ort. Staatsschutz ermittelt in alle Richtungen. Die Gemeinde Blowitz leidet sei Wochen unter verschiedenen Fällen von Brandstiftung. pic.twitter.com/9OiONMqo69
— ZDF Landesstudio Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (@ZDFschwerin) October 20, 2022
Some of the refugees expressed their sorrow over the fire.
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“We were here in safety and protected, and suddenly we have to leave our home again, again fear for our safety,” one told n-tv, per the Associated Press, adding that the fire was “very frightening.”
More than 915,000 Ukrainian refugees are currently housed in Germany, according to DW, an international media outlet. Though Germans have been welcoming to the refugees, the perception among many has soured in recent months in light of increasing fuel costs due to the war.
