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Billions in taxpayer funds: The rising price tag of migrant housing in Berlin and Hamburg

Supported

Claim checked

“Germany: Berlin & Hamburg Spend At Least €4 Billion On Housing Asylum Seekers Since 2022”

Published

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Verdict

Supported

The claim that Berlin and Hamburg have spent at least €4 billion on housing asylum seekers since 2022 is supported by official government data.

Reports based on Senate responses to parliamentary inquiries in both cities confirm that the combined expenditure for accommodation, care, and integration has exceeded this threshold over the 2022–2025 period. Specifically, Berlin's costs reached approximately €2.24 billion, while Hamburg's total annual costs for all forms of refugee housing are estimated at €1 billion per year.

5 reviewed sources behind this verdict.

Reasoning

The verdict is based on official figures released by the city administrations of Berlin and Hamburg in response to inquiries from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Berlin's State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) and the Senate reported that total costs for the accommodation, care, and integration of refugees between 2022 and 2025 reached €2.24 billion. This represents a significant increase from previous years, with annual spending rising from €312 million in 2020 to over €880 million by 2024.

Hamburg's data shows that the city spent €593 million specifically on hotel and hostel accommodations for asylum seekers between 2022 and 2025. However, when including other facilities such as container villages and state-run centers, the Hamburg Senate estimates the total cost at approximately €1 billion per year.

Combining Berlin's four-year total (€2.24 billion) with Hamburg's estimated annual expenditure since 2022 (approximately €4 billion over four years) confirms that the total for these two cities alone comfortably exceeds the €4 billion mark cited in the claim. The evidence also supports the broader context that Germany's total national spending on migration-related costs is estimated at over €50 billion annually.

Key checks

  • Berlin's total expenditure (2022–2025): Official Senate calculations confirm Berlin spent €2.24 billion on refugee accommodation and integration during this period.

  • Hamburg's total expenditure (2022–2025): While hotel costs alone were nearly €600 million, the total cost including all housing types is reported at approximately €1 billion per year.

  • National migration spending: The claim that Germany spends over €50 billion annually on migrants is consistent with reported federal and state budget allocations for accommodation, social welfare, and education.

Confidence

High

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