The solution for one is a problem for the other. And Velsen-Noord already has enough problems, according to the inhabitants. Last night, the municipality announced that it will receive 1,000 refugees on a cruise ship in the village of 5,300 inhabitants. “It is indeed degrading,” one resident says empathically. But the question remains: “Why does it always have to be Velsen-Noord?”
“Terrible, and disastrous for a village like Velsen-Noord. As small as we are, and then a thousand more will be added. That is simply impossible,” says the woman at Leo Aardenburg’s flower shop. She is also a councilor on behalf of Levendig en Gezond Velsen. The subject is the talk of the town at his stable.
A supplier adds: “We have a moral obligation to take care of people. But to what extent are you going to be able to help these people?” he wonders. Also, he’s somewhat concerned: “I don’t know where it’s going.”
And Aardenburg also contributes: “Think about healthcare. One GP already has 4,100 patients here, you can be happy that if you make an appointment now, you can come in fourteen days.”
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Velsen-Noord wonders: ‘why here?’ – NH News
Aardenburg sees more shelter options elsewhere in the country than in Velsen-Noord. “Why don’t they choose the Vlothaven in Amsterdam”, he says. “We already have so much to choose from here. If the municipality needs to get something here, they always know where to find us. But let them do something for Velsen-Noord.”
Mayor Dales told NH Radio this morning that he indeed demanded and received something in return from the government, in exchange for the generous reception: the second ferry at Velsen-Noord will continue to sail for ‘a number of years’ according to promises† Previously, it was not certain that this would still be the case after 2023.
“The council agreement states that Velsen-Noord would be spared. Well, that council agreement can go straight into the trash.”
Whether Aardenburg thinks that is enough remains to be seen. In his opinion, Velsen-Noord already has enough problems. “There is also the discussion about the Polenhotel they want here† And what about the industry around us? And that really isn’t just Tata Steel. NUON (nowadays Vattenfall, ed.) might still be a bigger problem†
“The council agreement states that Velsen-Noord would be spared. Well, that council agreement can go straight into the trash.”
Dales invited residents of Velsen-Noord this morning NH Radio (see box below) for a discussion with the municipality: “We are going to organize a walk-in evening for residents on Monday evening with all kinds of information tables at the place where the ship will arrive.” The plans will also be presented to the city council tomorrow.
Dales: “If Velsen is called upon, then Velsen is there”
“The main reason for realizing this shelter is the harrowing images we see every day in Ter Apel. People who have fled from war, from violence, from famine,” Mayor Frank Dales said in an interview this morning NH Radio† “They will then come to the Netherlands, and what can we offer them? They have to sleep on a chair, there is not enough food at the shelter, they sometimes even have to sleep outside.”
And that affected Dales, he says. “When the government appealed to our municipality, we did not hide. Then Velsen stood up to say: if there is a crisis and an appeal is made to Velsen, then Velsen is there.”
“I understand that a thousand refugees in a municipality with five thousand inhabitants is a lot. We have also made agreements with the ministry about safety, not only on board but also in the vicinity of the ship, including in Velsen-Noord.”
The mayor also emphasized that refugees will not only be accommodated on the cruise ship: “We extensively researched various locations and in the end this was the best location. But we are also realizing a shelter for minor asylum seekers in Driehuis.” Listen to the full interview with Dales below.