A new reception centre for asylum seekers will open in Uccle on 14 July, providing accommodation for up to 230 people.
The facility, managed by Samusocial at the request of the federal asylum agency Fedasil, will reportedly be housed in the former Armonea building on Beeckman Street, close to Uccle's former town hall, according to a report in La Dernière Heure.
The centre will replace an existing facility in Koekelberg and will be dedicated to people seeking international protection, according to the French-speaking daily.
It will primarily accommodate families, but will repotedly also host single men, single women and a small number of unaccompanied foreign minors.
Residents living near the site were recently informed of the project through a neighbourhood leaflet.
Acting Mayor Valentine Delwart (MR) confirmed to Bruzz the plans and said the centre would be staffed by 35 Samusocial employees, providing round-the-clock support and psycho-medical-social assistance.
"Both the municipality and Samusocial are committed to ensuring the centre is well integrated into the neighbourhood," the information notice states. "We are therefore working closely with prevention services and the police."
According to Bruzz, Samusocial and the municipality have invited local residents to an information meeting on Wednesday, 24 June at 18:00 in the municipal administration building, ahead of the centre's opening next month.
