Government officials hope that the so-called Irgäertchen Project will be able to house up to 685 people in the future.
The plan envisions setting up infrastructure for refugees near the Irgäertchen roundabout, which would simultaneously put them between the A1 motorway and the Findel airstrip. Locals believe that this solution is far from ideal.
Nadine Molitor, president of the Cents Interest Club, commented: “It is too close to the airstrip, planes are only 150 metres above ground at this stage. There is also constant noise coming from the nearby motorway. I think that it will be a discomforting situation for people who just lived through terrible experiences.”
According to a document from the Chamber of Deputies, four refugee sites are to be set up at the designated location. One will be the initial reception centre for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, also known as SHUK, and currently located in Kirchberg. The second site will be for emergencies, the third one for people who are expelled, and the fourth one will have reinforced security measures. The site will also have six classrooms, sport infrastructure, medical care, as well as administrative buildings.
The Cents Interest Club first requested details about the project from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in 2020. Back then, the response was that no details were yet available, and no further information was ever provided. The Club has therefore now demanded an urgent meeting with Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer.
The DP politician shares the group’s concerns and conveyed that, so far, she has only heard ideas and that no official project has been presented to her. Mayor Polfer agrees that the location is not ideal for long-term living and that the expected concentration of refugees would also be excessive. One would run the risk of creating a ghetto, she warned.
In conversation with RTL, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn explained that a concrete project proposal for four sites is currently being finalised: “Our goal is to turn the location into a viable option for emergencies.”
The Cents Interest Club opposes the construction of one enormous centre and proposes setting up smaller sites at different locations. Minister Asselborn noted that this is not an option, since both catering and medical care can be organised more efficiently if everyone is at the same place. The LSAP politician stated: “We are already managing 18 different locations, which is a real challenge. I do not believe that the planned project will create a capacity overload.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister concluded by saying that even though there is no ideal location for the planned refugee centre, the country is in desperate need of such infrastructure.
