Ypres hopes that the asylum center will only remain open for two years
The city can no longer object, but hopes that the asylum center will be temporary, for a maximum of two years. Ypres wants to develop a new district on that site and wants to realize those plans at all costs, says Mayor Talpe.
There had been rumors for some time that an asylum center would be built on the military domain, but State Secretary De Moor is presenting Ypres with a fait accompli. The city council feels caught cold. More than 200 containers will be placed for this purpose by the end of the year. Emmily Talpe, Mayor of Ypres: “We announced some time ago that we have enormous objections regarding that location and also whether this is tailor-made for Ypres, because it puts enormous pressure on our Welfare and Education services in our city. We must also be able to cope with our staff and resources if we have to accommodate such a large group of people in our city.”
Temporary
Ypres wants to create a new district at that location and the asylum center now interferes with those plans. But the mayor perseveres. Emmily Talpe, Mayor of Ypres: “We have clearly agreed that it must be a temporary asylum center and by that we mean two years. And the additional condition is that it does not jeopardize the strategic development of our “Spie”.”
Don’t scare people
The opposition also believes that the asylum center should be a temporary solution. Katrien Desomer, CD&V: “I think that when you hear such news, no one will cheer. And we share the concerns of many Ypres residents. But we should not exaggerate it and we certainly will not go along with the scaremongering of the extreme right, as it is already doing on social media. I think it is now mainly a matter of communicating to our residents as quickly, completely and clearly as possible.”