On Friday 16 June 2016, 100 Syrian asylum seekers met at the premises of the Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés (ASTI) in Luxembourg City to air their grievances with representatives of the Directorate of Immigration.
At the meeting, organised by ASTI and the Facebook group Maison Syrienne, the refugees shared their concerns about the situations of their families back in their home country. They aim to obtain refugee status as quickly as possible to allow their families to join them in Luxembourg.
Many raised questions regarding waiting times which have extended well beyond six months and issues relating to various stages of the asylum procedure, such as reception and meetings, were discussed. Earlier this month, hundreds of Iraqi asylum seeers protested silently in front of the buildings of the Directorate of Immigration against prolonged waiting times.
Senior representatives of the Directorate present at Friday's meeting insisted that Syrian asylum applications are prioritised - another factor which the Iraqi demonstrators called into question. The representatives however stated that Syrian identity must be confirmed before the status can be assigned, and this inspection process can take time. They stated that they were aware of the plight of Syrian refugees and claimed they are attempting to accelerate the latter's records.
The Directorate representatives pointed to this form of meeting as more constructive than a street demonstration, and praised the respectful and constructive atmosphere in which the discussions unfolded. All agreed that dialogue is essential in ensuring that public opinion remains in favour of the reception of refugees.
