House Rules for the reception centres

The following services are available at the reception centre:

· Housing
· Meals
· Access to sanitary facilities and toiletries
· The provision of clothing
· Pocket money
· Individual social assistance and access to legal aid
· Medical and psychological support

The HR are a set of rules concerning communal living at the reception centre and its organisation in order to ensure that both residents and staff have the best possible experience.
These rules relate to the following:

· Respect for privacy
· Order and tranquillity at the reception centre
· The safety of residents and staff
· The hygiene and cleanliness of the rooms
· The arrangements for presence and absence
· Making appointments
· Deposit system
· Room inspection
· The general information obligation of each occupant towards Fedasil

The centre is an open reception centre. This means that you are not obliged to stay there. If you choose to leave the reception centre, you only retain the right to medical assistance by Fedasil. Your choice whether or not to stay at the reception centre does not affect your application for international protection.
If you have any questions with regard to these house rules or with regard to the rights you enjoy during your stay at the reception centre, you can always consult your social worker or the information brochures available in the centre.

The management and staff wish you a pleasant stay.

1. OUR SERVICES

1.1 Basic services
Depending on its organisation, the reception centre offers the following services:
· Accommodation with access to sanitary facilities
· Access to toiletries
· The possibility of washing clothes and of receiving essential clothing (second-hand)
· Meals or luncheon vouchers or the possibility to purchase food yourself

1.2 Individual counselling
All those who work at the reception centre are subject to a code of ethics that subscribes to values such as respect, customer orientation, impartiality and discretion.
During your stay, you will have a social worker assigned to you, who will assist you individually during your stay, inform you about your rights and refer you to other services if necessary.
This person will create an individual file in which all important matters are kept at the reception centre. Other employees from our reception centre can also contribute to this. You are always entitled to read your file. If you move to a different reception centre, this file will be transferred to the new reception centre.
The individual assistance you can expect from us is the following:

• Assistance when you arrive: your social worker will discuss and evaluate your specific reception needs with you
• Social assistance: we offer support and advice on social life outside the reception centre and help you, for example, with enrolling children in schools.
• Assistance in the asylum procedure: the reception centre will ensure that you are well informed about the course of the procedure. We will also support you in finding free legal assistance (lawyer) from the start of your proceedings.
• Training: Under certain conditions and on the basis of the available places, you are entitled to participate in activities. Your social worker will provide you with further information about this.

1.3 Medical and psychological support
In the event of medical complaints, you have access to medical support.
If there is a medical unit within the reception centre, you should contact this internal medical unit, which will, if necessary, arrange for an external medical consultation. In the absence of a medical unit, your social worker will explain the procedures for consulting a doctor.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that if you choose to call upon a doctor other than the one indicated by the reception centre or if you register with a doctor or hospital on your own initiative, you will have to cover the costs yourself.
If you need psychological support, the reception centre will refer you to specialised counselling, either within or outside the reception centre.

1.4 Pocket money
You are entitled to a weekly allowance. The level of this amount is determined by law.
In certain collective reception centres, it is possible to supplement this amount by carrying out certain chores for the benefit of the reception centre, the so-called community services. It is up to each reception centre to decide how this will be organised and how much it will spend on carrying out these chores.

2. OUR RULES ON LIVING TOGETHER

2.1 Privacy and tranquillity
- You have the right to respect for your private life and the private life of other residents. This means that you do not enter the rooms of other residents unsolicited and that you must respect the night's rest in the reception centre.
- You do not invite minors to your room, except with the permission of the parents or the supervisor, if the minor is unaccompanied.
- You contribute to a calm atmosphere in the reception centre.
- You respect the visiting rules and ensure that external persons who visit you also respect these. The purpose of the visiting rules is to guarantee the privacy of you and your coresidents.
- You respect the personal belongings of other residents and the goods of the reception centre. The reception centre is not responsible for damage, theft or loss of your personal belongings. In the event that you cause damage to goods belonging to others or to the reception centre, you may be asked to compensate for these.
- You request the prior approval of the management of the reception centre for the organisation of events, in particular when they may disturb the peace and quiet of the reception centre.
- You respect the instructions given to you by the staff of the reception centre.
- You respect the fact that certain parts of the reception centre are restricted in access.

2.2 Safety
- You must comply with the applicable regulations on prevention and fire safety and not damage fire detection or fire-fighting equipment.
- The destruction and vandalism of the reception centre are strictly prohibited.

It is forbidden to cook in the reception centre, except in the rooms that the reception centre may have designated for this purpose.

- There is a general ban on smoking in the reception centre, except in the designated areas.
- The trade in, possession and use of alcohol or drugs in the reception centre is prohibited. Any behaviour associated with drunkenness and the use of illegal substances in the reception centre is prohibited.
- The possession of dangerous objects that could endanger others or cause damage to the premises is prohibited.
- The objects prohibited by these rules may be seized.
- Verbal or physical intimidation, sexual and gender-related violence, aggression or physical violence are prohibited, as are any racist or discriminatory behaviour or language towards individuals or groups.

2.3 Hygiene
- You are responsible for the proper maintenance and cleanliness of your room or residence.
- You must respect the communal areas and keep them clean.
- It is not allowed to keep animals.

3. OUR RULES ON THE ORGANISATION OF THE RECEPTION CENTRE

3.1 Information obligation
For the proper follow-up of your right to reception, you have an information obligation in relation to the reception centre. This means that you inform your social worker in good time of all useful information regarding your asylum procedure and of any other element that may affect your right to reception (e.g. letter received from the Immigration Department, decision taken by the CGVS or the RVV, etc.).
You must also report to your social worker if you are involved in voluntary work or have an employment contract.

3.2 Financial contribution to the reception
If you have an employment contract and perform paid work outside the reception centre, you will immediately inform the reception centre about the modalities of this. Depending on the level of your income, you will have to pay a contribution to the costs of your reception according to the modalities provided. Under certain conditions and if your income is stable and exceeds a certain amount, the reception can be stopped.

3.3 Making and fulfilling agreements
If you call on an external service or service provider without the explicit prior consent of your reception centre, any costs involved will be at your expense.

If the reception centre makes an appointment for you with an external service provider (training, doctor, hospital, etc.), you are obliged to attend this appointment correctly and on time.
It is possible that your presence at certain events (e.g. meeting or training) is mandatory. In that case, you will be informed in advance about the practical organisation (time, possible means of transport) and you will respect this.
The tickets that are given to you for travel within the framework of your procedure, a medical consultation, a consultation with a lawyer, etc. will only be used for these purposes.

3.4 Exercise of parental authority
As parent(s), you are responsible for the supervision, upbringing and compulsory education of the minor child(ren) in your family. The reception centre can support you in this if you wish.

3.5 Presence in the reception centre
In order to retain your place in the reception centre, you must be regularly present in the reception centre.
If you are absent during the night, you are required to inform the reception centre and leave your contact details. After three nights of absence without prior notice, you can be de-registered and you may consequently lose your place in the reception centre.
You should never be absent for more than 10 nights in any 30-day period. You can be unsubscribed if you are absent for a longer period of time.
In order to request a new place in the reception centre, you must present yourself to the Fedasil Dispatching Service where, if you are still entitled to reception, a reception place will be allocated to you.

3.6 Deposit system
It is possible that the reception centre will ask you for a deposit when making material available to you. This deposit will be returned upon your departure from the reception centre or upon return of the borrowed material in its original state.

3.7 Inspection of the room/housing and private closet space
In addition to findings made during rounds at the centre, regular checks may be carried out of the rooms to ensure compliance with the various rules relating to safety, fire prevention, hygiene and compliance with these rules in the rooms.
The regular inspection may take place twice a month and only between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. Only in case of specific requirements of prevention regarding safety, firefighting, hygiene or serious shortcomings in the house rules can the room be checked more often and outside these hours.
The entire room is checked during the inspection. You can be present if you so wish. In case of suspicion of violation of the house rules, the cabinet can be opened and its contents checked.

If, in the course of carrying out a check, objects prohibited by these rules are discovered (see paragraph 6.12), they shall be seized. A list of the seized objects will be drawn up and a copy of this list will be sent to you on request.
If an object seized during a check appears to be a dangerous object for the physical integrity of the occupants and staff, it shall, where appropriate, be handed over to the competent services.
If the object has been seized for reasons of hygiene, safety or firefighting, it will be returned to the occupant upon leaving the reception centre.
If the object that was seized or any other object that is the property of the resident was not taken away upon leaving the reception centre, the latter is free to collect it within 10 days following his departure.

4. SANCTIONS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

4.1 Sanctions
If you commit an infringement of the rules or agreements, a sanction can be imposed. Acts committed outside the reception centre may also involve sanctions if they have a significant impact on the reception centre.
The nature and gravity of the infringement and the concrete circumstances in which it took place will always be taken into account. You may be given the opportunity of an interview prior to a sanction relating to and you may be accompanied during this interview by a person of your choice.
The sanction will always be given to you in writing.

The following sanctions may be imposed:

1) a formal warning, with a mention in your individual file.
2) temporary exclusion from participation in the activities organised within the reception centre.
3) a temporary exclusion from the possibility of providing Community services for remuneration.
4) the restriction of access to certain services.
5) the obligation to perform certain tasks of general interest.
6) the partial or total cancellation or reduction of the pocket money with a maximum period of four weeks.
7) the transfer to another reception centre.
8) temporary exclusion from entitlement to material assistance in a reception centre.
9) definitive exclusion from entitlement to material assistance in a reception centre.
The sanctions shall all be immediately enforceable. The exclusionary sanctions must be confirmed by a decision of the Director-General of Fedasil within three working days following the day on which the sanction was imposed. The date on which this decision can be retrieved from the Dispatching Service is stated on the sanction, which was handed to you by the reception centre.
For an explanation of the applicable sanctions, you can always contact your social worker.

4.2 Disciplinary measures

In order to guarantee order, safety and tranquillity in the reception centre, a disciplinary measure can be taken. You may be heard before a disciplinary measure relating to you is taken and may be accompanied during this interview by a person of your choice.
Disciplinary measures are given in writing or posted in the centre if they are in the public interest (for example: closure of a TV room at a certain time in the evening as a result of repeated problems).

5. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

If you would like more information about the procedures described below, you can always contact the staff of the reception centre.

5.1 Lodging a complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the general living conditions in the reception centre or with the application of the house rules, you can file a complaint.
You send your complaint in writing or orally to the director or the person in charge of the reception centre, who will deal with your complaint within a maximum period of 7 days. The complaint can be submitted in Dutch, French, German or English.
If you do not receive a reply within 7 days, you may submit the complaint in writing to the Director-General of the Agency or to the person to whom this power has been delegated (see point 6.16).

5.2 Appeals against a sanction imposed
If you do not agree with a sanction discussed under points 4), 5), 6) or 7) that has been imposed, you may lodge an appeal for review in writing with the Director-General of the Agency to the person designated in point 6.16. or, if you reside in an LRI, with the PCSW Council.
This appeal is made in Dutch, French, German or English and must be sent by post within five working days after the sanction or order measure has been handed over to you in writing.
You immediately send a copy of this appeal to the reception centre. A decision will be notified to you within 30 days. As long as the Director-General, the person designated in paragraph 6.16 or the ASCE Council does not modify the sanction, the sanction shall remain in existence for the time being.

5.3 Appeals against decisions on medical assistance
If you do not agree with a decision regarding medical assistance, you can lodge an appeal in writing with the Director-General of the Agency, the person designated in point 6.16 or, if you are staying in an LRI, with the PCSW Council.
This appeal is made in Dutch, French, German or English and must be sent by post within five working days of the consultation in which the decision was communicated to you.
You immediately send a copy of this appeal to the reception centre. A decision will be notified to you within 30 days.