MP Meris Šehović of the Green Party (Déi Gréng) has urged the Luxembourg government to prioritise the protection of its most vulnerable residents, emphasising that “these are not file numbers, but human beings in need of protection”.
Speaking in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, Šehović criticised significant delays at the Ministry of Home Affairs in processing family reunification applications and granting residence permits, which he said create “uncertainty, instability, and an enormous obstacle to integration” for affected individuals.
Šehović highlighted the case of a Venezuelan family who have lived in Luxembourg for three years. The mother has been suspended from her job because she did not receive the necessary documents from the Ministry in time, while the father has been promised employment. Their young daughter, who only knows the Luxembourg education system, faces the prospect of her family becoming homeless, the MP deplored.
In response to these challenges, Šehović has tabled a motion calling for an “immediate halt” to the expulsion of vulnerable international protection applicants, particularly children, from accommodations managed by the National Reception Office (ONA). The motion also requests detailed monthly statistics on several key issues, including:
The motion has already garnered support from three opposition parties: the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), the Pirate Party, and the Left Party (Déi Lénk). Chamber of Deputies Speaker Claude Wiseler has indicated that he will coordinate with the relevant ministers – Max Hahn (Family Affairs) and Léon Gloden (Home Affairs) – to schedule the motion for discussion.
