In The Hague, it is being investigated and examined how nuisance-causing asylum seekers in Ter Apel can be punished faster and more severely.
A national public prosecutor updated mayor Jaap Velema van Westerwolde on this on Wednesday. Velema told the city council that on Wednesday evening. “The officer is also prepared to inform the council members.”
Underprivileged asylum seekers
A group of mainly underprivileged asylum seekers, who therefore have little chance of obtaining a residence permit, have been causing nuisance in Ter Apel but also in surrounding villages for quite some time. This includes shoplifting and burglary.
Hague consultation
Velema and his colleague Eric van Oosterhout van Emmen raised the alarm 2 weeks ago in The Hague with State Secretary Eric van den Burg of Asylum Affairs about this nuisance. It was agreed at that time, among other things, that underprivileged asylum seekers would be spread more widely over azcs elsewhere in the country after their arrival in the Ter Apel asylum center. It was also agreed that the procedure for the ‘underprivileged’ will be accelerated, so that they will hear earlier that they have to return.
“The package of measures also includes an examination of how the troublemakers can be tried more quickly and more strictly,” says Velema. “That should discourage those troublemakers.”
Velema hopes that this stricter approach will be ‘introduced’ as soon as possible. “I’m definitely going to push for that.”