About the Ukrainian War Refugee Arrival Centre situated on the premises of the main exhibition venue and the refugees themselves from the staff perspective

Abstract

This article is intended to provide an overview of the structure and operation of the Ukrainian War Refugee Arrival Centre, which was established in the main exhibition venue of the city of Dresden, Messe Dresden, in spring and summer 2022, from the perspective of its staff. The article first focuses on the history of the building and its location in the city, then reviews its infrastructure and the general features of its operation. Although the refugees’ stay at the centre was treated and organised by the city authorities as short-term, many of them stayed there for more than three months. This contributed to the quality of life of the refugees, and the centre itself is approached in the article in a more ambiguous way, as a ‘camp’. The article focuses on the relationship between the children and other refugees and the staff of the ‘camp’, reviewing trends in the expression of structural violence, as well as the limits of multiculturalism ideology. It also briefly reflects on the relationship between the founder of the arrival centre, the organisation Johanniter Unfall Hilfe, and the practical conditions for improving the operational possibilities of the ‘camp’.