Reception Centres | Quality of life and services

Reception facilities provide temporary homes for asylum-seekers and refugees, both as individuals and families. After filing asylum claims, asylum-seekers stay in these facilities until their claims are processed. Once recognized as refugees, they are allowed to stay in reception centres for a transition period of up to a year, and prepare for their new lives. (In the cases of people with special cases, their stay in reception centres may be extended.)

Reception facilities provide housing, food, basic health care and pocket money for their inhabitants. But the level and quality of these services can vary from one facility to another, both within a country and the region.

UNHCR continuously monitors the standard of living and quality of services of reception facilities. It either does this directly or through NGO partners,  also gaining information through participatory assessments, such as the Age, Gender and Diversity strategy. When monitoring reception centres, UNHCR considers factors such as basic hygiene, quality and diversity of meals, availability of sports and recreational opportunities, and access to designated areas for praying.