The official reopening ceremony took place on Friday in the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, and Yves Piron, director of the National Reception Office (ONA).
The structure is managed by Caritas and has a 197-bed capacity. It will accommodate families, as well as single men or women. So far, 19 people have moved in. Sanitary facilities are shared, and meals are delivered three times a day by a nominated provider.
As it is a temporary accommodation, refugees will only remain at the centre until their request for asylum has been processed. The building is under 24/7 security watch.
The ONA currently has 54 buildings offering accommodation to asylum seekers. Although the pandemic saw a slight drop in the number of requests, the ONA’s capacities are currently at 94.6% occupation. In addition, there are 13 structure for people who have fled the war in Ukraine, with a maximum capacity of 1,952 beds. These are currently occupied up to 75%.
Jean Asselborn thanked Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich and the representatives of the Catholic Church for having made the structure available, before reiterating his call for municipalities to participate in the solidarity effort.
