The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) will soon enter into talks with the residents of the hotel ‘t Elshuys in Albergen, in which the COA will house two hundred asylum seekers. This is what COA chairman Milo Schoenmaker said in response to the decision of the preliminary relief judge of the court in Almelo about the sale of the ‘asylum hotel’ to COA.
“The ruling provides clarity. There was uncertainty about the sale, whether or not it should go ahead. The judge has indicated today that the sale can really go ahead and that the property must go to the COA. And at the same time, that means We do have the obligation to talk to local residents and to show that we are a good neighbor in many places and that we can and want to be that also in Albergen,” said Schoenmaker after the judge’s verdict.
The COA will shortly apply for a permit to use the hotel as a reception location. “We will do that for about 150 to 200 people who will fit in the hotel. Not yet outside, because that is a different procedure. But I think it is even more important that we start talking to the local residents. I have seen a lot of concerns, people who are really concerned that all this is happening. We have a lot of experience with asylum reception. We will show that we can do this well, that we can also make this a success in Albergen. But for that you have to start a conversation and that can we go after this statement.”
The COA will also enter into discussions with the municipality of Tubbergen, which includes Albergen. The purchase was made without the knowledge of the municipality, which led to a lot of unrest.