Waalre will temporarily accommodate approximately 150 asylum seekers. They will be housed from July until early next year on a site where a pet shop used to be.
With the temporary shelter Waalre responds to a call made by asylum minister Bart van den Brink at the end of March. He asked municipalities to quickly arrange more shelters for asylum seekers, to prevent people from ending up on the street. This is currently in danger of happening at the shelter at the registration center in Ter
Apel.
Went well
In a statement, Mayor Marcel Oosterveer (VVD) of Waalre said: “People on the run deserve a safe place. We feel responsible for receiving asylum seekers in a good way.” Asylum seekers were also received on site in 2024 and in 2022 Waalre had emergency shelter elsewhere. At both locations
According to the municipality, the reception went well.
Since the minister’s call, municipalities have offered approximately 2,000 temporary places for asylum seekers. That has not yet helped to reduce the pressure on Ter Apel.
To assure
In the village of Engelen, the planned reception of fifty unaccompanied minor asylum seekers is causing more commotion. Local residents have concerns about safety and quality of life in the neighborhood. There is also fear of nuisance. In addition, local residents feel that there was too little participation in the decision.
Opponents have demonstrated several times. Even the A59 was briefly blocked. There were also incidents with fireworks and vandalism at the building where the shelter may be located.
