According to Klijnsma, municipalities such as Assen, Hoogeveen and Emmen have done more and more, because other municipalities in the country did too little or nothing.
The twelve commissioners of the king fear without spreading law ‘chaos’ and that everything that has now been put into operation for asylum shelter will be disrupted’. According to the commissioners, there are still too few reception places. And the flow of status holders to their own home is stuck. “With the withdrawal of the Spreading Act and the abolition of the priority for housing status holders as Faber wants, the problems will increase,” said the commissioners.
In addition, Klijnsma sees another advantage if the Spreading Act remains. “If you structurally ensure that there is room, even with less intake, then you can use those places for others such as students or labor migrants.”
How did Klijnsma get all provincial heads in the same direction with the noses?
“All commissioners of the king are above the political parties, despite all their different backgrounds and their own party preference. They all have a provincial control table. We are asked to lay a puzzle per province: where can refugees be taken care of, where status holders, where Ukrainians and who does what? Without the law we couldn’t have that puzzle of all there. Contacts in The Hague, make sure that the Spreading Act is not abolished. “
The cabinet wants to withdraw the Spreading Act next year, as agreed in the government program. PVV party leader Geert Wilders is not going fast enough, he wants the law to disappear “as quickly as possible”.
Klijnsma hopes that especially the chairmen of the coalition parties will listen to the call. “See what happened at the Spring Memorandum. It was put together by the four party leaders, without the cabinet. The three party leaders of VVD, NCS, and BBB have something to think about if so many organizations say: don’t do it.”
Finally, Klijnsma believes that the tone of the discussion about the refugee policy ‘really should be different’. “Faber is always talking about a crisis and a big problem. If there are plans for an AZC in your area, then you soon think: what do I get in my neighborhood? That makes it harder for municipal administrators to realize those reception places.”
“For real refugees, there must always be room, and we have to arrange that together in Europe. Point,” Klijnsma concludes her argument.