In the past couple of months, the National Reception Office (ONA) has repeatedly been criticised for its managing of shelters and treatment of refugees.
People arriving in Luxembourg are usually sent to the First Reception Centre in Kirchberg, where more than a year after the start of the war in Ukraine, people are still sleeping in tents. In December, refugees had to be relocated as a matter of urgency following a heating system failure.
The Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents (OKAJU) has criticised the care on offer for minors, noting that they do not have enough space for themselves. According to ombudsman Charel Schmit, its is also regrettable that refugees are prevented from carrying out basic activities, such as cooking for themselves.
Non-profit organisation LUkraine shares this take, saying that infrastructure is not adequate for families with young children, and that many strict and incomprehensible rules have been put in place, leaving residents feeling as though they are "living in a prison". Around half of the 4,600 Ukrainians who fled to Luxembourg live in such government-run facilities.
Read also: Luxembourg lacks 'concrete strategy' for refugees, argues non-profit
For instance, security guards keep track of every time a person enters or leaves the premises of a facility, which the ONA says is due to health and safety reasons in the event of a fire. Refugees living in the T Building in Kirchberg are not allowed to welcome guests in their rooms, but have to reserve specific rooms for that purpose.
Although the premises are equipped with kitchens, residents are not permitted to cook and also not permitted to take food to their rooms. The beds and rooms are numbered and distributed by the ONA, while residents are not allowed to switch rooms and live with acquaintances rather than strangers.
The ONA was meanwhile unwilling to comment on reports of broken and badly managed facilities.
The annual budget of the Office amounts to €180 million. Around €50 million are specifically reserved for supervision while maintenance, exploitation, and renting of infrastructure costs more than €37 million every year.
