Room With a Few: Just 28 Refugees Living in German Castle Converted for 320

A castle in Schleswig-Holstein that was prepared to be used as housing for 320 asylum seekers is now home to just 28 residents, as authorities there complain that the expected number of refugees have not materialized.

Authorities in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein are disappointed that much of their preparation for the arrival of thousands of refugees has been an unnecessary expense because many places, including 19th century Salzau Castle, remain empty.

German newspaper Die Tageszeitung reported on Friday that local authorities complained to the state government after hearing a three month projection from the state's migration office (LfA) about the distribution of refugees across the state. 

On January 27, LfA informed them that until the end of April, 200 refugees a week would be distributed across the state; previously 700 a week had been allocated accommodation.    

The head of Rendsburg-Eckernforde district, Rolf-Oliver Schwemer, responded by writing to Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Torsten Albig to complain that in his district alone there is room for 600 refugees sitting empty.

Other districts have also created places of refuge "in the solid expectation" of receiving newcomers and the money to cover the cost of housing them, wrote Schwemer.

Because of the new allocation rules, the places are partially vacant, despite "maintenance costs of several hundred thousand euros," Schwemer said.

Local authorities expect the state government of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state, to bear 90 percent of the cost of housing refugees. The state is also supposed to pay municipalities 2,000 euros ($2,256) per refugee for an integration package, Die Welt reported.

"Significantly fewer refugees means significantly less money for the respective municipalities," the newspaper explained. 

In the town of Heide, for example, 190,000 euros ($214,370) was spent transforming former army barracks into accommodation for up to 120 people, but only five have arrived. As a result, the local authority is being left to bear the cost of the renovation, maintenance and the employment of a security company to guard the premises.

According to Die Welt, only 44 percent of the initial places made available in Schleswig-Holstein for refugees are currently occupied.

"According to the state government, 57 percent of 1,884 places are unassigned in the largest accommodation in the state, in Boostedt. Of 1,850 places in Neumunster, 900 beds are empty. In the Putlos barracks only 101 out of 1,440 places are occupied," Die Welt reported.

"Converted at the peak of the refugee wave, Salzau Castle is currently housing only 28 refugees, but 320 beds are available there."

In October Die Welt reported on the conversion of the 19th century castle, and its suitability for asylum seekers.

Schleswig-Holstein — Ein Schloss dient als Flüchtlingsunterkunft https://t.co/iXREG2XK4h via @welt

— WolfgangH (@Wolfgang_H) 11 февраля 2016

​'A castle is functioning as a refugee shelter,' Die Welt reported in October.

"The refugees still can't work, and the castle is isolated, but they are happy here," the newspaper wrote. It interviewed one refugee from Afghanistan who was living there, who said "we are very happy here, but there is no town in the area and we can only see trees. But yes, it is very nice, we like it," he told Die Welt.