The homeless shelter in the Brussels-Capital Region will receive another 500 places for asylum seekers for whom there is no immediate room in Fedasil’s reception network. The federal government decided this on Friday. This brings the total number of Brussels places paid for with federal money to 2,000.
In recent months, there has not been a reception place for all asylum seekers on the day of their registration with the federal asylum agency Fedasil. They can therefore go to the homeless shelter in Brussels, where 1,500 places have been made available with federal money. To get through the winter months, the capacity will be expanded by another 500 places, reports the office of State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V).
In addition, interim employment at Fedasil will be extended and expanded. This is necessary to find enough staff to man the reception centers and replace absentees. Interim jobs will also be possible for vacancies at Fedasil’s headquarters. There are currently 120 vacancies open at the federal shelter agency.
De Moor emphasizes that so far this winter, no families with children have ended up on the streets. That was also her intention when she decided last summer to temporarily no longer accommodate single men in the network, she recalls.
“But we cannot solve this with just more shelters,” says the State Secretary. “The influx really needs to be reduced, and that is why I am insisting on the reform of the European migration policy. Only with the Migration Pact that provides for better control at the borders will we be able to accommodate everyone again.”
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
