In the spring of 2015, the reception network consisted of 16,000 places. When the number of asylum applications suddenly started to increase in the summer of last year, the need for additional reception facilities arose. Within a few months, Fedasil created, together with partners, about 18,000 new places. The reception capacity reached a new peak at the end of 2015, with more than 35,000 places. In just six months, the reception capacity in our country had more than doubled.

During the Council of Ministers in June 2016, the government decided to match the number of reception places with the decreased number of arrivals. As there were less asylum requests, the government chose to reduce the number of places.

 Closure of places

In total, 10,000 reception places will disappear by the end of 2016. Therefore Fedasil and her partners gradually implemented the reduction starting 1st July. As a first step, all emergency reception places (tents, camping sites, etc.) were closed. In the next step, the temporary reception places will be reduced. This is done by closing thirty centres as well as by reducing the capacity in the centres that remain open.

Early October more than 5,000 places have been closed: Fedasil's network reached the symbolic threshold of 30,000 places on the 13th October.

 Different reception centres recently closed their doors, namely Saint-Hubert (Fedasil), Sijsele and Vilvoorde (Flemish Red Cross). In the autumn, the federal centres in Koksijde, Elsenborn, Overijse and Zaventem will close their doors. The current challenge is to find a new place for all the residents concerned.

The government's aim is to have a reception network of 25,000 structural places by the end of 2017, with an additional 7 to 8,000 buffer places.