The Dongen municipal council decided in an extra council meeting on Thursday evening to keep a temporary emergency shelter for asylum seekers open. Last week the council decided to close the shelter early next year. Residents of the municipality started a petition on Monday to allow the shelter to continue to exist. Nearly 2,000 people signed it. Part of the council requested the extra council meeting.
The municipality reports that the extra meeting, which lasted three hours, was well attended. Prior to the debate, there were eight speakers, all of whom argued in favor of maintaining emergency shelter. Ultimately, a large majority of the council approved a motion to keep the shelter open. The council will implement the decision.
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The emergency shelter at Nestel was opened in February, initially for six months. In June, that period was extended by another six months. 150 asylum seekers live there, including families with children. The initiators of the petition write that the residents ‘feel at home in Dongen: children go to school and residents of the emergency shelter are at work.’