Since migration waves peaked in 2015, Europe has implemented policies to welcome migrants and asylum seekers. Migration and refuge significantly impact both the built and social environments of cities. In Luxembourg, a country where nearly 50% of the population has a migration background, a large percentage of newly arrived refugees reside in reception centers. Many of them struggle to progress toward citizenship, primarily due to the housing crisis.
The object of repairFrom ECHO.lu
With the uncertainty of their residency status, one that is ever prolonged to almost seem more permanent than temporal, refugees lose hope in joining the city as active participants. They, therefore, find alternative adaptation lifestyles to cope with their new reality defined by the architecture of refuge. Luxembourg’s migration-welcoming system is organised by ONA, the National Reception Office, which sets the regulation for accommodating refugees and programmes the social contract with them. This dynamic, hindered by the increasing number of refugees and the shortage of lands available for housing, struggles to meet the demands and creates a top-down hierarchical system. It also reveals the organizational dynamics between the state and the municipalities. By delving into the refugees’ reality, it is understood that the housing problem is not a problem of inefficiency of reception centers, nor the related policies; it is rather rooted in land ownership, the real estate market, and state politics.
The proposal
The project envisions an inclusive platform where all stakeholders, including refugees, actively participate. It prioritizes key issues raised by refugees, ensuring their voices shape the agenda. By promoting collaboration among experts, policymakers, and other participants, the project bridges disciplinary gaps and promotes dialogue. This approach encourages mutual understanding and collective problem-solving, empowering diverse perspectives to contribute to more effective solutions for refugee integration and housing challenges.
The “Municipality 101” project will adopt Citizens’ Assembly models to empower refugees residing in Luxembourg’s reception centers, which house approximately 8,000 individuals, by creating a deliberative body that fosters their active participation in urban and social life. The “Municipality 101” project also carries a broader message to both Luxembourgish society and the existing 100 municipalities: Open the doors, accept refugees, and liberate spaces where they can live. The goal is not only to create temporary solutions like building containers or temporary housing but to make refugees an integral part of society. Rather than isolating them in reception centers, this initiative emphasizes the importance of inclusion and active participation in the social and urban fabric while embracing cultural differences and spaces for resistance. Refugees should be seen not as passive recipients of aid but as active participants who contribute to the well-being and development of their communities.
The “Municipality 101” project aims to serve as a model for how refugees can be empowered to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives, while urging the other 100 municipalities to follow suit by embracing more inclusive policies. It calls on local governments to liberate housing, provide adequate living spaces, and create opportunities for refugees to engage in civic life.
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The project counts with the generous support of Œuvre Nationale, LFR, and Cultures of Assembly.
Vernisage. April 1st, 2025.
19:00 — Exhibition opening
19:30 — Roundtable (EN) with:
- Abdulrahman Assad (Former Resident of the ONA Structures)
- Marianne Donven (Co-founder of the Oppent Haus initiative, Chiche!)
- Sérgio Ferreira (Political director and spokesperson of ASTI asbl)
- Markus Miessen (Cultures of Assembly, University of Luxembourg)
- Antoine Paccoud (Housing Observatory, LISER)
- César Reyes Nájera (Cultures of Assembly, University of Luxembourg)
- Mohammed Zanboa (Researcher on Spatial Justice, Municipality 101)
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20:30 — Q&A
21:00 — Snacks & Drinks Prepared by Chiche! Restaurant supporting refugee employment.