Following the increase in the number of asylum seekers, the available reception capacity (16,200 places) for asylum seekers was no longer sufficient.

The Belgian government approved a series of measures in August and September to progressively increase the reception capacity through different means such as the activation of the buffer places, the creation of mobile residence units, the extension of existing reception centers or creation of new ones, the launch of public tenders, etc..

The reception capacity could thus increase from 16,200 places in July to around 36,000 places at the end of 2015.

More information on the website of Fedasil, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers.