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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: 2021 | ||
| Centre | Capacity | Occupancy at 01 Jan 2022 |
| Timișoara | 125* | 19 |
| Şomcuta Mare | 100 | 125 |
| Rădăuţi | 130 | 108 |
| Galaţi | 200 | 127 |
| Bucharest | 96** | 65 |
| Giurgiu | 100 | 57 |
| Total | 751 | 501 |
*As of the second half of 2021 the capacity of the centre decreased from 250 to 125, due to renovation work.
**As of July 2021 the regional centre Vasile Stolnicu (320 places) was under renovation and all the asylum seekers were accommodated in Tudor Gociu centre (96 places).
Source: IGI-DAI, 10 March 2022.
The total capacity of the Regional Centres is 1,100 places, with the possibility to extend the capacity with 262 places and 166 specially designed closed spaces. Nevertheless, due to renovations in Timisoara and Vasile Stolnicu centre (Bucharest) the capacity of the centres was reduced to 751 places with the possibility to be extended by 210 places. 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: Timişoara and Rădăuţi each with 100 places and Galaţi with 300 places.
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.
In Somcuta 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 registered at the beginning of 2021 (around 200 asylum seekers).
In Radauti, 150 places are used officially, according to the JRS representative, including the specially designed closed spaces and 6 places arranged in the prayer room.
In Giurgiu, the director of the centre reported that the number of accommodation places had been increased by 70. Other rooms were were changed into accommodation facilities; new beds and mattresses were bought. The highest number of asylum seekers was 90, but this was only for a short period of time, because they were leaving the centre.
In Galati, according to the JRS representative, the capacity of the centre in 2021 was 210 places. 10 additional places were set out in the common room. The centre reached its capacity, but asylum seekers never slept on the floor.