Night-time operation

After inspection: Illegal tent camps about to be cleared

One of the camps in the Mühlau-Arzl industrial estate.(Bild: Birbaumer Johanna)

The illegal tent camps in Innsbruck-Arzl continue to occupy the authorities: As announced to the "Krone" newspaper, police and the Mobile Monitoring Group (MÜG) turned up at the makeshift camps. Now the evacuation is imminent, and for the time being the eviction is voluntary.

In Innsbruck-Arzl in particular, people are living in improvised tent camps. This cannot be accepted as a permanent situation. Keywords: camping law, hygiene and safety. 

At around 9.30 pm on Thursday, the Mobile Monitoring Group (MÜG) visited the camp on Haller Straße near the Grenoblerbrücke bridge and the one near the Siemens branch (Mühlau-Arzl industrial estate).

We have given those affected until the middle of next week to vacate.

Thomas Koland, Mobile Überwachungsgruppe (MÜG)

Men from Eastern Europe encountered
Only at the latter location did the officers also encounter "residents". "They were three men from the Eastern European EU region," says Thomas Koland (MÜG).

One of the camps in the Mühlau-Arzl industrial estate.(Bild: Birbaumer Johanna)

The police were on site again in the early hours of Friday morning. "We have given those affected until the middle of next week to vacate," says Koland.

The tents below the elevated bridge on Haller Straße.(Bild: Birbaumer Johanna)

Avoid sudden removal of belongings
If necessary, daily inspection visits will also be made in the near future. Above all, to make people aware of the ban on wild camping. An unannounced eviction operation, which would take away the meagre belongings of those affected, should be avoided.

Communication with the men was partially possible. "They said they were looking for work. There is an emergency shelter nearby on Schusterbergweg, but they don't want to go there," says Koland.

Responsibility varies depending on the property
The legal situation regarding the tents below the Haller Straße elevated bridge is somewhat different. This is land owned by the state and therefore under its jurisdiction.

Officers from the Mobile Monitoring Group (MÜG) have now intervened.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof (Symbolbild))

The MÜG will now inform their colleagues at Landhausplatz and the bureaucratic wheels will have to start turning again. No people were found on Haller Straße during the control operation.

It is unclear whether the tents are deserted. In any case, there was laundry hanging out to dry on Friday.