The Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers have announced a plan to open a temporary reception centre in Ghent for 250 asylum seekers in December 2019.
The centre, a floating reception facility, will be moored at the Rigakaai wharf in Ghent, at the North Sea Port and will have 40 employees, the agency explained in a press release.
En décembre, Fedasil ouvrira un centre d’accueil provisoire pour demandeurs d’asile à Gand. L’accueil aura lieu sur un ‘ponton’, une structure d’accueil flottante qui sera amarrée au quai « Rigakaai ». Consultez le communiqué de presse : https://t.co/VLDshFR3vj pic.twitter.com/SN5b9aN4ZW
— Fedasil (@FedasilBelgium) October 23, 2019
The reception facility will be modelled on a similar centre that was set up during the refugee crisis in 2015 and operated by a private partner. This time around, however, the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil) will operate the facility.
Fedasil are working closely with the City of Ghent to prepare for the arrival of the centre. The first residents are anticipated to arrive sometime in early December.
The reception centre will provide medical assistance and social support to asylum seekers during the process of their applications for asylum.
There will be an information session on 4 November jointly hosted by Fedasil and the City of Ghent to provide more detailed information to Ghent residents.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times