The pressure on the Ter Apel application center is easing slightly. Asylum seekers can now flow more easily to a number of large reception locations, State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) reports in an update to the House of Representatives. “The coming weeks will show whether this development will continue.”
However, the reception is not yet properly arranged for so-called ‘unaccompanied minor aliens’ (amv’ers). Too many of them are still in Ter Apel, because there is still a shortage of reception places elsewhere. Some measures have been taken to place them in small-scale shelters in municipalities, but there is not much support among local governments for sheltering this specific young group.
The court recently ruled that the crisis shelter for unaccompanied minors, among others, is below par. It is unsafe and the guidance is poor. A request has been made for 25 to 30 single-family homes per province in order to realize small-scale reception facilities for young asylum seekers. But according to Van der Burg, only a limited number of municipalities have supplied homes. “This lagging result – in conjunction with the persistently high influx – ensures that the urgency and scope of the problem in providing unaccompanied minors reception places remains high,” said the State Secretary.
Ascending line
In addition, more than 8,500 crisis emergency shelters have now been created by municipalities and security regions. That is less than the 11,250 crisis emergency shelters for which agreements have been made with the governments. At the same time, more than 17,000 permit holders are currently occupying a place in the regular asylum reception, because there is no housing available for them.
Municipalities are increasingly successful in arranging a home for status holders. In October, municipalities housed 3359 permit holders, much more than in the previous months. Van der Burg hopes that the municipalities will continue in this upward trend and that they will meet their statutory targets and catch up.
Regular reception
The coalition recently approved a bill that should lead to more municipalities arranging regular reception for asylum seekers. As soon as there is more regular shelter, less or no improvised emergency shelter such as sports halls will be needed. The goal is to have phased out the crisis shelter by April 1, says Van der Burg. By 1 July at the latest, the security regions will no longer provide support to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
Together with other ministers, Van der Burg is also working on an accelerated realization of, among other things, flexible housing, where status holders can also go.