In his latest interview, Max Hahn, family and integration minister, says “the state of some reception facilities for refugees in Luxembourg is sub-standard”. In reality, the situation is far worse.
As a representative of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, I received numerous official and unofficial complaints over the past year regarding the appalling living conditions of refugees within ONA structures.
The concerns extend far beyond hygiene, food quality, lack of privacy, and the incompetence or inhumane attitude of social service staff. They also include opaque procedures for accommodation, allocation of social housing, and more.
The Tony Rollman primary reception center for refugees is essentially a tent camp, where people are forced to wait for resettlement for two, three, or even four months. Just look at the photos below. In many cases, such conditions seriously harm both the physical and emotional well-being of not only adults but also children.
The Bâtiment T center in Kirchberg, which houses around 1,500 refugees of various nationalities, has effectively become a ghetto in the heart of Luxembourg City. Witnesses consistently describe it with words such as alcohol, drugs, prostitution, and fear of losing legal status.
And these are only a few examples. The situation in other facilities is hardly any better.(check below the latest article by Luxembourg Time).
The association LUkraine asbl, led by Zharov Nicolas, has for years not only raised this issue at every possible level but also proposed concrete solutions to overcome the crisis, such as developing tiny housing initiatives, working with municipalities, and more.
In recent months, I have contributed to preparing materials to bring this issue to the attention of the local media, the wider public, and Luxembourgish politicians. Several major articles have already been published in Tageblatt, Reporter.lu, Luxembourg Times, Virgule.lu, RTL Lëtzebuerg, RTL Today and others (see links below).
Nevertheless, the problem remains serious, widespread, and systemic. In our view, a reorganization of the ONA, thorough audits, and fundamental reforms of the refugee reception system are urgently needed.
I thank Djuna Bernard for raising this issue in parliament, and call on all other political parties to join the discussion and to begin implementing structural reforms without delay.
I also urge the both Ombudspersons of Luxembourg Claudine KonsbruckCharel Schmit to pay attention to this situation.
A fundamental human right is the right to live with dignity. Let us ensure this right for everyone living in Luxembourg.
