(JB) A bus carrying Syrian asylum seekers arrived safely in Luxembourg on Tuesday evening after the Grand Duchy extended an invitation to 50 refugees over the weekend.

Weary and curious to see their new home, the 21 adults and 21 children stepped off the bus at Weilerbach in the east of Luxembourg to glorious sunshine and an organised reception party composed of politicians and care services.

A number of social workers were among the first to greet the Syrians along with an arabic speaking volunteer doctor.

They were joined by Family and Integration Minister Corinne Cahen, Berdorf mayor Ern Walerius and welcome office OLAI director Yves Piron.

Most of the group are believed to be among hundreds of refugees who crossed into Austria and made their way to Germany over the weekend.

Luxembourg extended an invitation to 50 Syrian asylum seekers in response to an appeal by German authorities to assist these people.

Initially, the group will be housed at the Héliar Centre in Weilerbach where 50 beds have been made available after a group of Syrians who arrived in May 2015 were moved into private accommodation.

The latter were relocated throughout the country in an effort to aid their integration into Luxembourg communities and enable children to go to local schools for the new school year.

OLAI, which is the body responsible for all administrative, social, educational and housing issues relating to asylum seekers, currently has around 2,000 asylum seekers in its care.

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