European member states decided on Thursday to offer temporary protection to Ukrainian nationals fleeing war in their country. The Belgian asylum authorities have subsequently introduced a number of measures. For example, since Friday all Ukrainian refugees have been immediately referred to the buildings of the former Bordet Institute in Brussels. They are immediately registered there by the Immigration Department. Persons who do not have their own accommodation in our country can then contact Fedasil employees. They ensure that these people can go to one of the many Belgian municipalities that have offered housing en masse in recent days.
Persons who cannot immediately be provided with a shelter in a municipality can go to the crisis shelter in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, in the former Home Sebrechts residential care center. From there, they can leave as soon as possible for more long-term accommodation in a Belgian municipality.
On Sunday, 37 people were temporarily accommodated in Molenbeek, the center currently has 250 reception places. Mahdi reported earlier in the day that after his call #spotvrij, 22,507 reception places had already been registered, both public and private.