On Tuesday 27 December 2022, Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issued a statement concerning the doubling of the number of beds at centres accommodating refugees and those awaiting asylum, and the issue of continuous supplies of drinking water.
The National Reception Office (ONA) currently (at 30 November 2022) manages 68 accommodation structures with 4,157 applicants and beneficiaries of international protection (DPI/BPI) and 1,125 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BPT) from Ukraine, including the Tony Rollman first-time reception centre in Kirchberg (at LuxExpo) where new arrivals are welcomed on their arrival before being transferred to other accommodation structures.
All these accommodation structures are under the responsibility of the ONA. Some structures are managed and supervised by two partner associations of the ONA, the Luxembourg Red Cross and Caritas Luxembourg. This collaboration has proven itself over the years and has made it possible to guarantee the appropriate accommodation and care of applicants for international protection and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection in Luxembourg, even in difficult times and in situations of massive influx.
Over the past 12 months, the ONA has increased the total capacity of its accommodation network from over 3,400 beds to a total of 7,013 beds (as of 30 November 2022) in order to be able to accommodate all people who have sought refuge in Luxembourg, whether from Ukraine or other countries.
The creation of these thousands of additional beds within a few months could only be done by opening emergency structures in halls or tents, or by transforming existing structures, in particular hotels or administrative buildings, into structures for collective accommodation. This represented a significant challenge, especially for the technical installations; however, all the necessary services have been put in place. A hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to be able to involve the trades concerned if necessary.
In all ONA accommodation structures, the supply of drinking water is generally provided via tap water in order to avoid plastic waste. The ONA welcome kits that everyone receives on arrival include a cup and a reusable container for each person accommodated.
The quality of drinking water in all accommodation structures is ensured by regular checks, the same standards being applied as for the drinking water supply of the general population in Luxembourg. In specific situations where an accommodation structure being developed does not yet allow this supply, the inhabitants of the structure will receive deliveries of bottled mineral water. The ONA constantly monitors the situation on site in the accommodation structures to resolve any technical problems. In particular, the "T Building" in Kirchberg did not experience any breaks in the supply of tap water around Christmas Day and the supply of drinking water was therefore ensured at all times.
