In Wesel, Germany, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has proposed limiting the number of kebab shops and Turkish barbershops in the city center, citing concerns over retail diversity and the city’s image.
With traditional shops closing, service-based businesses like kebab shops and barbershops have flooded vacant storefronts. The CDU’s motion, expected to be discussed at a council meeting, aims to regulate these businesses to prevent uniformity in the city center.
Jürgen Linz, the CDU leader, explained, “We fear that too many of the same shops will have a negative impact on the development of the retail structure in the city center and would therefore like to have suitable control options.” Public discussions and social media have also voiced concerns over the growing number of these businesses in the city of 60,000 residents.
This proposal draws inspiration from a similar but unsuccessful attempt in Heilbronn, where municipalities considered regulating retail and restaurant composition. The CDU hopes to apply similar measures in Wesel, urging the administration to explore the legal feasibility of this approach.
However, the proposal faces opposition, particularly from the city’s ruling Social Democrats (SPD), who argue the restrictions are “legally questionable and economically damaging.” They contend there’s no evidence to support that these businesses harm the downtown area’s development.
The issue of Turkish barbershops has also sparked debate in other European countries, including the UK. Richard Tice of Reform UK recently linked the rise of such businesses to money laundering and criminal activity, claiming that many were fronts for illegal profits.
