February 14, the Minister of Family Affairs announced that 107 asylum seekers are on a waiting list to get accommodation in Luxembourg. As the Wanteraktioun, a winter shelter for homeless people, closed its doors this week, many homeless asylum seekers are left without a roof over their heads. Lëtzebuerger Journal followed the long journey of seeking refuge in the Grand Duchy.
"One person is already too many, but over 100…, " Sérgio Ferreira from Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés (ASTI) shakes his head. ASTI works on a variety of projects surrounding interculturality and integration, including of asylum seekers and refugees. While the government points towards limited refugee accommodations, Ferreira says that "inaction is not justifiable".
After Lëtzebuerger Journal reported both on the often-perilous ways to Europe and hostile first contact with Luxembourgish authorities, the living conditions of asylum seekers in the country need to be addressed too – from first accommodation to the long wait for the refugee status, refuge-seeking people are faced with physical and mental challenges while living in Luxembourg.
Asylum seekers still left to live on the streets
Requesting asylum most often works as follows: an asylum seeker walks up to the General Department of Immigration in Luxembourg, explains their situation, gets their fingerprints registered and eventually receives the certificate Applicant for International Protection. Once the person has this certificate, the asylum seeker is housed at the first-reception centre Centre de Primo-accueil (CPA) in Kirchberg before being transferred to long-term accommodation.
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