Author
Accommodation may be collective i.e. a centre, or in individual reception facilities i.e. a house, studio or flat,[1] depending on the profile of the asylum applicant and the phase of the asylum procedure the asylum applicant is in (see section on Forms and Levels of Material Reception Conditions).
At the end of 2024, there were 31,076 places in collective reception centres, 4,790 individual reception places (out of which 4,101 LRI’s), 360 open return places and 81 ‘other’ places. Out of the total of 36,307 places, 3,309 places are in the ‘first phase’ of reception[2], 32,998 in the ‘second phase’. Applicants stayed an average of 49 days in a ‘first phase’ centre before moving on to a ‘second phase’ reception place.
| Capacity of the first phase reception centres (end of 2024)[3] | ||
| Centre | Management | Capacity |
| AMC Petit Château | Fedasil | 800 |
| Bordet | Fedasil | 220 |
| Jabbeke | Fedasil | 270 |
| Sugny | Fedasil | 30 |
| Ariane Woluwe St-Lambert | Rode Kruis | 1,000 |
| NOC Fedasil | Fedasil | 340 |
| NOC Croix-Rouge | Croix-Rouge | 83 |
| NOC Rode Kruis | Rode Kruis | 50 |
| COO Auderghem | Fedasil | 60 |
| COO NOH | Fedasil | 70 |
| COO WSP | Fedasil | 62 |
| COO Steenokkerzeel | Fedasil | 70 |
| COO Overijse | Fedasil | 29 |
| Anderlecht Bizet | Samu Social | 25 |
| Zaventem | Immigration Office | 200 |
| Total | 3,309 | |
Due to a lack of reception places in the context of the reception crisis (since 2021 and ongoing in March 2025), Fedasil has opened different types of emergency places to ensure reception for families. In that context, 8 ‘emergency shelters’ (NOC’s) with a total of 833 places were opened in hotels in Brussels in 2024. 480 of those places were closed again throughout the year. In January 2025, Fedasil has reopened 120 of those places because of acute lack of places. In the winter of ’24-’25, Fedasil also opened 260 temporary places for families in youth centers to cover the winter months; these will close again between February and April 2025. 238 more temporary winter places were opened in Bredene and Theux to cover the winter months; these will also close by April 2025. The average stay of families in these centres was 55 days in the NOC’s and 67 days in the youth centres, Bredene and Theux.[4]
The practical organisation and management of the reception centres is done in partnership between government bodies, NGOs and private partners.[5] In 2024, the 107 main collective reception centres were mainly managed and organised by Fedasil (43 centres, capacity of 12,774 places), Croix Rouge (28 centres, 8,911 places and Rode Kruis (22 centres, capacity of 6,522 places). Some other smaller partners, such as Caritas and Samu Social, manage and organise 14 centres with a capacity of 3,320 places.[6]
Most individual reception places are LRI’s (4,101 at the end of 2024), run by local PCSW. On 31/12/2024, 381 local communes had an LRI on their territory. Other individual reception places (total of 689 at the end of 2024) are managed by organisations such as Agentschap Opgroeien, Caritas, Circé, Service d’aide aux migrants in the city of Ghent.[7]
There are also specialised centres for specific categories of applicants (see Special Reception Needs).
[1] Article 16, 62 and 64 Reception Act.
[2] This includes the ‘orientation and observation centres’ where unaccompanied minors are housed the first weeks after their arrival.
[3] Information provided by Fedasil, March 2025.
[4] Information provided by Fedasil, March 2025.
[5] Article 62 Reception Act.
[6] Information provided by Fedasil, March 2025.
[7] Information provided by Fedasil, March 2025.