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Most asylum seekers are accommodated in Regional Centres for Accommodation and Procedures for Asylum Seekers, managed by IGI-DAI. The management of reception is decentralised to the level of counties.
The capacity of the different Regional Centres operating across the country (see Freedom of Movement) is as follows:
| Capacity and occupancy of the reception system: 2023 | ||
| Centre | Capacity | Asylum seekers accommodated throughout 2023 |
| Timișoara | 250 | 3,672 |
| Şomcuta Mare | 100 | 1,292 |
| Rădăuţi | 130 | 707 |
| Galaţi | 200 | 1,126 |
| Bucharest | 320 | 390 |
| Giurgiu | 100 | 918 |
| Total | 1100 | 8,105 |
According to IGI-DAI, the capacity of each centre can be increased in case of need:
- Timisoara centre: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 10 places;
- Şomcuta Mare: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 100 places;
- Rădăuţi: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 20 places;
- Galati: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 10 places;
- Bucharest: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 52 places;
- Giurgiu: the total capacity of the centre can be increased by 70 places.
Source: IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024
IGI-DAI has stated that in 2023, due to rehabilitation work, the centre in Vasile Stolnicu centre temporarily operated at a restricted accommodation capacity, without providing further details.[1]
For information about regular transfers of asylum seekers between centres, see Freedom of movement.
There has not been a situation to date whereby asylum seekers were left without accommodation due to a shortage of places in the reception centres.
In order to increase the number of accommodation places in the regional centres, IGI, under AMIF funds aims to extend the accommodation capacity by 500 places in 3 centres, as follows: Timișoara and Rădăuţi each with 100 places and Galaţi with 300 places. However, the construction works in Timisoara and Rădăuţi were suspended, due to a lawsuit filed by the constructor regarding the price of the construction works.
As a result of the increase of asylum applications made in Romania, IGI, in accordance with the Emergency Ordinance no.38 of 10 May 2018, took over a public building, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to convert it into an accommodation centre for asylum seekers. The building is located in Crevedia, Dâmbovița County and will have a capacity of 500 places.
In addition to the Regional Centres, AIDRom, one of the NGOs implementing the AMIF national programme, runs two Accommodation Centres for vulnerable groups (see Special Reception Needs).
Asylum seekers may also request to stay in private accommodation at their own cost. In this case, they have to present to IGI-DAI a lease agreement registered with the tax authorities or a commodity contract concluded in authentic form.
According to CNRR,[2] in 2023, reception conditions and capacity remained stable. In October 2023, the GII regional centre for procedures and accommodation for asylum seekers in Bucharest was reopened after almost 2 years of rehabilitation. It has a capacity of 320 places. During these works, asylum seekers were temporarily accommodated to the General Inspectorate for Immigration premises where the asylum related procedures are carried out (interviews, applications registration etc.)
As of 2022:
In Şomcuta Mare, it was reported by the JRS representative that the capacity of the centre was increased by 50 places, by placing 50 beds in the gym. The highest number of residents was 175.
In Rădăuţi, the capacity may be extended to 150 places officially, according to the director of the centre. The average occupancy during 2022 was 113.85 places.
In Giurgiu, the director of the centre reported that the number of accommodation places had been increased by 70. Other rooms were changed into accommodation facilities; new beds and mattresses were bought. The highest number of asylum seekers was 75, but this was only for a short period of time, because they were leaving the centre.
In Galati, according to the director of the centre, the capacity of the centre in 2022 was 310 places. The highest number of asylum seekers accommodated in the centre was 157.
Bucharest: the highest number of accommodated asylum seekers was 85.
[1] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.
[2] CNRR, Input by civil society organisations to the Asylum Report 2024, 2023, available here.