Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are said to be on their way and should arrive in Luxembourg on Saturday. As the situation is becoming complicated to manage, the Minister of Foreign Affairs launched an urgent appeal on Friday to stop large-scale private initiatives.

In view of the continuous influx of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the emergency accommodation structures already in place are filling up very quickly in Luxembourg.

So much so that we are faced with a challenge that we will not be able to meet, said minister Asselborn in an interview with RTL Radio on Friday evening. If we receive people without being prepared and we find ourselves overwhelmed, it would not do anyone any favours, he added.

Read also: How is international protection of refugees regulated in Luxembourg?

He requested that large-scale transfers of refugees no longer be organised in this way from Luxembourg. The responsible organisations will no longer be able to organise it efficiently, Asselborn warned. He asked those who intend to do so to stop using their own means to travel to Ukraine - or to the borders with Ukraine - to bring back refugees by bus.

Audio in Luxembourgish:

Extrait Jean Asselborn

New reception centre in Moutfort

Hundreds of people are expected to arrive in the Grand Duchy over the weekend. But the organisers of these trips also have to bear in mind that all these people will then have to be accommodated in Luxembourg, Asselborn emphasised.

The foreign ministry explicitly requests private individuals to not organise any more large-scale transports unless firm arrangements for short and medium-term accommodation have also been put in place.

According to the National Reception Office, about 700 people are currently accommodated in its facilities.

The municipality of Contern has volunteered to provide a new facility, with a reception centre operating from Saturday in the cultural centre in Moutfort.