PODCAST 1:
Receiving and accommodating refugees in European cities: what shall - and shall not - be done?
This is a topical issue in Brussels, which has witnessed a reception crisis. In late 2021, refugees had to sleep on the streets in front of Belgium’s biggest reception centre due to a lack of accommodation. The Belgian federal instances failed to provide more place until the city of Brussels stepped in and offered hotel rooms. This situation raises question of wider relevance: Who is responsible for welcoming and accommodating refugees? Are there differences in the ways in which this is handled across Europe?
Hannah Vermaut (BIRMM coordinator) and Florian Trauner (BIRMM co-director and JM Chairholder) welcome two VUB researchers, who are highly qualified to discuss these questions: René Kreichauf (Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research – VUB) and Louise Hantson (project researcher at BIRMM for the Whole COMM project).
The podcast is organised by BIRMM, in cooperation with the Jean Monnet Chair ‘Expand – Understanding Resilience in EU Justice and Home Affairs’.
