At the request of the federal government, the Belgian Red Cross announced the opening of a new reception centre in the Ixelles neighbourhood of Brussels (Avenue de la Couronne / Kroonlaan).

The building had been previously occupied between the end of January and the beginning of August by 80 people, including around thirty children. Threatened with eviction by the owner of the building, they were finally rehoused in mid-July in a vacant building belonging to the Federal Pensions Service, in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Brussels).

The centre will be able to accommodate 224 people initially, then 360 after development work. A team of 40 people has been set up to provide daily support within the new centre. The first residents arrived on 14 August.

As an auxiliary to the public authorities, the Belgian Red Cross has been mandated by the Belgian State for 35 years to accommodate and provide assistance to applicants for international protection. In 2023, the Red Cross welcomed 15 500 people in its 28 centres in Wallonia and Brussels. For more information, please consult their website.