Fifteen refugees allocated to Romania arrived at the ‘Henri Coanda’ Airport on Thursday, being taken by minibus to the Regional Centre for Asylum Seekers in Galati. The 15 refugees, some of whom are children, arrived in Bucharest from Athens.
Sources from the General Inspectorate for Immigration stated on Wednesday for news.ro that the first refugees, 11 Syrian and Yemeni citizens registered at a hotspot in Greece, were expected to arrive in Romania on Thursday.
Likewise, another 160 refugees will arrive from Italy and 135 from Greece, however for the time being it is not known when they will do so. Their number could vary based on the decisions taken by those countries’ authorities. Paperwork is currently pending from Italian authorities so that the files can be analysed in order for any risks to be avoided before the refugees arrive.
The Galati Regional Centre for Asylum Seekers has a capacity of 250 beds, which could be supplemented, in a first phase, by approximately 50 beds, according to the representatives of the General Inspectorate for Immigration.
The centre has an open lodging system and the refugees will have to respect its internal regulations. The centre’s current occupancy rate is around 5 per cent, ziare.com informs.
Romania has five other similar centres for asylum seekers, totalling a lodging capacity of 700 beds, the occupancy rate currently totalling 11 per cent.
Three other asylum centres will be established in Romania, while dozens of other locations are currently assessed in order to see whether they meet the criteria needed to transform them into asylum centres.
Following a decision adopted by the Supreme Defence Council, Romania accepted to take in 1,785 immigrants.
