If a municipality refuses to use a government building as an asylum seekers center, the cabinet can enforce this from now on. That to write State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) and Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Housing) to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
If a municipality does not want to change the destination of a building that can function as an asylum seekers’ center, the cabinet can from now on do so itself. Then the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) can buy the building and make it suitable for the reception of asylum seekers. The cabinet would rather not have it come to that, but will keep this option open from now on, the ministers write.
The asylum crisis is so great that the government needs more ways “to be able to take control when opening new reception locations”. The cabinet has been in talks with municipalities for some time to arrange more reception places.
During a meeting with cabinet members on Monday, the security regions again urged structural measures for the long term. COA has also done this before.
By arranging the permits itself, if necessary, “the government is not bound by the willingness of municipalities to open a COA location”, write Van der Burg and De Jonge. In this way, buildings owned by the central government can be used as asylum seekers’ centres, even if the municipality and residents do not want it.
The government emphasizes that it remains important to continue to work with the municipality. The municipal council and local residents must also continue to be involved and informed.
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