Municipalities are not happy with the 5,600 extra places for asylum seekers that the cabinet has given them asks. Instead, the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) would rather see the cabinet get to work quickly on long-term solutions. The umbrella organization is thereby referring to a structural approach for asylum reception and housing for beneficiaries.
During a meeting with cabinet members on Monday, the security regions also insisted on structural measures for the long term. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has also done this before. Nevertheless, State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) said on Tuesday that all 25 security regions must each arrange another 225 extra crisis emergency shelters.
With this emergency measure, the State Secretary wants to prevent people from having to sleep on the street. According to Van der Burg, the situation in the application center in Ter Apel is untenable. The more than 5,600 places are on top of the previously agreed 5,500 crisis places.
VNG also does not want to place asylum seekers with Ukrainians
In addition, the cabinet wants asylum seekers to be able to go to the unused reception places for refugee Ukrainians. The VNG is not in favor of this either. “The locations are available for a limited time. In addition, municipalities are concerned about the mixing of groups.” At present, about 70 percent of the Ukrainians incarcerated are women. 32 percent of the group is underage.
In addition, municipalities have made agreements with local residents that certain reception locations are only intended for Ukrainians, the VNG argues.
The cabinet realizes that it demands a lot from the security regions and the municipalities in them. Other short-term measures to relieve the pressure on the application center in Ter Apel do not work well, according to the cabinet.
Cabinet can force municipalities to cooperate with asylum seekers’ center
The cabinet also decided on Tuesday that it is now possible for a municipality force to use a government building as an asylum seekers center (azc). The government would prefer not to see this happen, but it will keep that option open.
By arranging the permits itself, if necessary, the central government is not bound by the willingness of municipalities to open a COA location. 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 VNG calls this decision a “very far-reaching measure that does not contribute to a structural solution to the asylum problem”.
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