1/4 Jan de Bruijn in the gym where the refugees were received (photo: Imke van de Laar).
Jan de Bruijn, alderman of the municipality of Heeze-Leende, has a taste for it. In his view, the recent reception of refugees in a sports hall has gone so well that serious consideration is being given to a place where a maximum of fifty people can be accommodated for a year. “I almost get tears in my eyes how happy the people have been here.”
De Bruijn acknowledges that not everything went well. For example, the people who live near De Pompenmaker sports hall were surprised by the news that just over a hundred asylum seekers would be accommodated. The information meeting also went less well than he reported on the evening itself. For example, the security region was unable to answer all questions and there was unrest from opponents.
“Security officers instilled trust.”
De Bruijn has learned from it, but he is also happy that a different sentiment has arisen in the community. “The first days after the arrival of those refugees, a woman walked her dog every day. As she did so, she chugged on the floor and held up her middle finger. Against the security guards and the temporary residents. Then the security guards started talking to her and gradually you saw her attitude change, in the positive sense of the word. Those security guards were top notch anyway, they spoke Arabic and were able to solve problems well. That instilled confidence.” Three asylum seekers had to be sent back to Ter Apel, Groningen, because they caused nuisance.
It was also a good lesson for the congregation. Informing citizens earlier and better and involving them more intensively in such changes can prevent a lot of misery. Even among those people who very quickly made a fuss about the refugees, De Bruijn believes. He admits that he was ‘shocked’ by the aversion that apparently lived in the village. De Bruijn refers, among other things, to the banner with the text ‘Rather cows in the meadow than one more asylum seeker’. “I didn’t expect so much resistance. Fortunately, it was a small group that had a wrong image of these people.”
But how sure is he of the fact that these critics will also adopt a more constructive attitude next time? In any case, a new reception center will not be located somewhere ‘in a neighbourhood’, but just outside one of the cores of the municipality. And only after the college has toured and made an informed decision. Which, moreover, must be shared with the environment in good time.
“I almost get tears in my eyes again.”
“I therefore think that the resistance will be less than expected with a new reception. We will apply the lessons we have learned in the future”, De Bruijn sounds hopeful. He can already look forward to it. “The people who stayed in the sports hall all received a postcard from the municipality when they left. The joy I received then almost brings tears to my eyes again. So warm, that feeling: that’s what you do it for. Helping people in need: as a municipality, however small, you have to grasp that with both hands. Taking in asylum seekers is just great.”
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