"If a country can help, it is us"

In Luxembourg we “must not close our eyes” to the fate of the thousands of refugees and asylum seekers, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister has said.

Jean Asselborn was referring to the 515 refugees and asylum seekers, the country has been asked by the EU Commission to admit over the next two years.

Compared to other countries, Luxembourg's quota per capita is high, pushed up by Luxembourg's high GDP, low unemployment rate and relatively small number of asylum requests, all criteria used by the Commission.

Speaking to the Luxemburger Wort, Mr Asselborn said that the controversial quota criteria will “provide material for discussion during the Luxembourg Presidency.”

But, he stressed that it was important that all countries participate in this gesture of solidarity. “Otherwise, nothing will happen,” he said. 

Responsibility

Because of Luxembourg's economic power and prosperity, the onus on the Grand Duchy was even greater. He said: “If a country can help, it is us.”

The minister refused to speculate on what would happen if the Commission's proposal does not receive the qualified majority of EU member states, saying only “We must not close our eyes.”

Over the coming months, Luxembourg's government will analyse the actual situation for refugees and asylum seekers in Luxembourg.

According to Integration Minister Corinne Cahen, 2,000 refugees are currently being cared for in Luxembourg: 1,500 by OLAI and 500 by charities the Red Cross and Caritas. 

A third of asylum seekers are going through the application procedure while another third live in supported housing because they have not yet found suitable accommodation.

The last third is composed of failed asylum seekers who live in the centres until they return to their home countries.

Capacity

The quota provided to Luxembourg asks the country to admit 221 asylum seekers, already living in Italy and 147 living in Greece.

These 368 people would have to go through the formal procedure for applying for asylum in Luxembourg.

The country has also been asked to voluntarily integrate 147 refugees, and automatically grant them asylum status. The Grand Duchy admitted 28 Syrian refugees in April 2014, and a further 46 in May, 2015. 

Under the recommendation, it would admit 75 refugees per year over the next two years.

Altogether, it brings the yearly intake to seven times more refugees than received in the past two years, Yves Piron, the director of Luxembourg's Welcome and Integration Agency (OLAI), said.

He said that does not even take into account the 2,000 asylum seekers who come to Luxembourg each year.

While Mr Piron said that Luxembourg currently has more capacity than needed, any excess would soon be depleted if the country was confronted with a large wave of refugees.

Community support

Minister Cahen said that a number of communities have expressed willingness to accommodate refugees in Luxembourg.

However, further manpower will also be needed to provide other support for the proposed quota of refugees and asylum seekers, such as from social workers, psychologists and interpreters. 

Translated from an article by Michèle Gantenbein

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