Communes to get quotas for welcoming asylum seekers

(JB) Communes are to be given quotas for housing asylum seekers in a bid to solve a critical accommodation shortage.

Luxembourg families minister Marie-Josée Jacobs announced the plan on Monday morning to a parliamentary committee.

It comes weeks after politicians and human rights groups reached deadlock over the shortage of lodgings for the growing numbers of asylum seekers coming to the Grand Duchy.

The minister said that under the new system, local authorities would be asked to host a number of refugees and asylum seekers. The number would be based on the population of each commune and its infrastructure.

Committee members have reportedly thrown their support behind the quota project. The next step will be for the minister to meet with commune representatives at the Syvicol union before drawing up a bill.

Luxembourg's accommodation shortage for asylum seekers has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks after individuals were placed in tents.

It is thought that there are currently 1,700 asylum seekers living in homes across Luxembourg.

Temporary accommodation is to be created in Pétange with space for 70 transitional asylum seekers in containers on the former site of Adam Mathias High School. The site will be in use until June 2012.