Between 2017 and 2021, many EMN Member and Observer Countries experienced a high degree of volatility in the number of applicants for international protection, which in some countries led to tensions in the reception systems. This EMN inform gathers information that can help policymakers better organise their reception systems.
The inform Organising flexible housing in the context of international protection provides information on how the EMN Member and Observer Countries organize their housing capacities in reception facilities. It also focuses on challenges and good practices related to the reaction on the situation in Ukraine.
In 2021, the number of asylum applications in the EU increased by almost 34% in comparison to the previous year, returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. The reasons for this may include the pressure on the Belarus border, the fall of Afghanistan’s government, as well as the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, and more recently, in 2022, the war in Ukraine. These trends highlighted the need for EMN countries to implement flexible approaches to manage housing capacity.
The Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU serves as the legal framework for EU Member States for ensuring harmonised standards for the reception of applicants for international protection. In the event of a shortage of housing and reception capacities, the Directive foresees the possibility of activating exceptional measures for temporary emergency housing.
The EMN Member and Observer Countries indeed have applied different modalities of reception conditions in emergency situations such as housing in tents or gyms. To manage sudden changes in the demand for housing, they created additional capacity in existing reception centres or established new reception facilities. In this context, they also introduced a higher level of flexibility from a budgetary perspective, increasing the financial resources allocated to reception and housing when required, and some engaged in regional and local redistribution of international protection seekers on the territory.
Housing in private settings and with host families was considered a key measure to address insufficient housing capacity of the countries. This was particularly the case when the large number of people were fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.