Minister Asselborn with Ethiopian athletes Tekuam Bisetegn and Yonas Kinde;
Credit: MAEE
On Saturday 5 September 2020, a new accommodation structure for applicants for international protection (asylum-seekers) was officially opened in Wasserbillig.
Before the official opening, Luxembourg's Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, visited the premises, along with the mayor of the municipality of Mertert, Jérôme Laurent, as well as officials from the National Reception Office (ONA) and from the Luxembourg Red Cross.
A total of 11 former customs houses have been converted to accommodate a maximum of 63 residents from September. The structure will be managed by the Luxembourg Red Cross and will accommodate a mixed population (families, single men and single women). This is a so-called "phase 3" sustainable structure, in which asylum-seekers remain until a response to the application for asylum is received.
Residents who had previously registered had the opportunity to take part in guided tours and ask questions to those in charge on site. The site visits were carried out in compliance with health measures in order to guarantee the safety of all participants.
This new structure will be the 57th structure under the responsibility of the National Reception Office, provided for hosting asylum-seekers. Since the migration crisis in 2015, the Grand Duchy has experienced a relatively constant flow of new arrivals of applicants for international protection (asylum).
Thanks to the solidarity efforts of municipal actors, a dignified welcome for newcomers has been ensured.
The Minister recalled that the challenge remains great. The capacities of the accommodation structures remain very limited, in particular in view of the difficulty for beneficiaries of international protection to leave the housing. In this context, the Minister reiterated his call to the municipalities to participate in the solidarity effort and to provide sites for the construction or development of accommodation structures for asylum-seekers. Several financial and administrative aids are available to municipalities hosting asylum-seekers.
