Second deportation detention center in North Rhine-Westphalia costs 313 million euros

According to the Ministry of Refugees, the country's second deportation detention center will cost around 313 million euros. This emerges from the state government's response to a small question from the SPD parliamentary group.

The paper from Minister Verena Schäffer (Greens) mentions 220 million euros for the construction alone. According to the state, there will also be 38.7 million euros for land acquisition and 55 million euros for planning.

The second deportation detention center - so far there is only one in Büren, Westphalia - was decided after the terrorist attack in Solingen in 2024. The prison is to be built on part of the former JHQ military site in Mönchengladbach.

The Bundestag still has to approve the sale of the property

The state has now signed the purchase agreement with the federal government, but according to the Refugee Ministry, the Federal Council, the Bundestag and the Federal Ministry of Finance still have to sign off on it. This could take up to six months, according to a paper for the state parliament that has not yet been published. According to the Refugee Ministry, it is therefore not possible to give a date for the start of construction or even commissioning.

“Half of the funds from the Black-Green security package after the Solingen attack were earmarked for this project. What's even more frightening is how little concrete the plans appear to be 20 months later," said the SPD's deputy group leader, Lisa Kapteinat, to the dpa.