Forms and levels of material reception conditions

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The Reception Regulations cover the provision of “material conditions”, defined as including “housing, food and clothing, provided in kind, or as financial allowances or in vouchers, and a daily expenses allowance”.[1]

In practice, asylum applicants in open centres are provided with accommodation and a daily food and transport allowance. Detained asylum applicants have all their personal possessions confiscated upon their detention – including money – and are provided with accommodation, food, and clothing in kind.

The Reception Regulations specify that the level of material reception conditions should ensure a standard of living adequate for the health of the asylum applicants, and capable of ensuring their subsistence. However, legislation neither requires a certain level of material reception conditions, nor does it set a minimum amount of financial allowance. Asylum applicants living in open centres are given a small food and transport allowance, free access to state health services and in cases of children under sixteen, free access to state education services. Asylum applicants in detention enjoy free state health services, within the practical limitations created by their presence within a detention centre. No educational activities are organised for detained children or adults.

Asylum applicants living in open centres experience difficulties in securing an adequate standard of living. The daily allowance provided is barely sufficient to provide for the most basic of needs, and the lack of access to social welfare support exacerbates these difficulties. Social security policy and legislation precludes asylum applicants from social welfare benefits, except those benefits which are defined as “contributory”. With contributory benefits, entitlement is based on payment of a set number of contributions and on meeting the qualifying conditions, which effectively implies that only a limited number of asylum applicants would qualify for such benefits, if any.

AWAS provides different amounts of daily allowance, associated with the asylum applicant’s status. As of December 31, 2024, the rates were following:

• € 4.66 for asylum applicants; € 130.48 per 28 days
• € 2.91 for persons returned under the Dublin III Regulation; and
• € 2.33 for children (including unaccompanied minors) until they turn 17.

According to AWAS, any applicant duly registered with the IPA and holding the ASD can apply to receive the financial allowance. This is granted following an assessment of the applicant’s situation, taking into account vulnerability and financial income. As such, applicants who are employed full-time will generally not be granted the financial allowance. The per diem is generally tied to residence in an open centre, yet it is possible for applicants to request to receive the per diem if living in the community and NGOs confirmed that throughout 2023 and 2024 AWAS did in fact provide financial support to community-based applicants.

AWAS confirmed that, at the end of 2024, a total of 167 applicants were residing in the community and registered with AWAS receiving financial assistance. Together with these, AWAS was also providing financial support to the following community-based persons: one refugee, 15 beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, 7 THP beneficiaries, 12 rejected applicants and 12 Dublin closures.

However, since no information is provided to applicants about the possibility of receiving financial support whilst living in the community, and since NGOs have limited resources, many applicants were left outside of the reception system and did not benefit from allowances for lack of information or documentation.

According to AWAS, at the end of 2024:

[1] Article 2 of the Reception Regulations, S.L. 420.06.