Now that the much-discussed distribution law of State Secretary Van der Burg will probably also be adopted by the Senate, the question arises as to what municipalities in the IJmond will notice. With the new law in hand, the central government can force municipalities to receive asylum seekers. NH called a round of IJmond municipalities to map out the consequences of the new law for the region.
No municipality in the IJmond expects to have to deal with coercive measures from The Hague. Or because a lot of shelter has already been organized, such as in Velsen, or because there are plans to arrange such shelter, as in all other IJmond municipalities.
Until now, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, the COA, was dependent on the voluntary cooperation of municipalities in realizing asylum reception. The new law puts an end to the optional nature of childcare. With the law, the government wants to achieve a more balanced distribution of asylum seekers among municipalities throughout the Netherlands.
There are also big differences in the IJmond. Velsen has been receiving hundreds of asylum seekers for some time now. A sharp contrast with Beverwijk, Uitgeest and Heemskerk where not a single asylum seeker is (yet) received.
Velsen
Velsen is a leader in the IJmond when it comes to the reception of asylum seekers. There are currently 478 residents staying on the ship Ocean Majesty in Velsen-Noord. 178 of those people will only stay temporarily, until the end of March. These are not only asylum seekers, but also status holders. There are 84 residents staying at the AZC location Driehuis for unaccompanied minor refugees.
In a response, the municipality of Velsen stated that it does not expect to have to deal with forced reception of asylum seekers: “We have already become active on this subject in Velsen and have been receiving asylum seekers for some time in anticipation of the dispersal law. We are also working towards sustainable solutions to continue to receive refugees. We take into account the expected task that comes with this. The research into an AZC location in Santpoort-Zuid is part of this.”
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It is likely that the dispersal law will ultimately bring more peace to many municipalities, including Velsen, which are already actively working. Active municipalities in particular now regularly receive requests for temporary elevation, for example. Ultimately, this will no longer be necessary if the distribution law works.
Beverwijk
Beverwijk is not currently receiving any asylum seekers. But, together with other municipalities in the Kennemerland region, it has drawn up a regional plan in anticipation of the distribution law. Furthermore, preparations have been made to meet the target. According to the current target, the municipality of Beverwijk is faced with the task of creating 160 reception places for asylum seekers. The municipality expects to have shelter available for this number in time and therefore does not expect to have to deal with forced shelter.
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Three locations have been proposed as part of the regional plan: Wijckermeerweg 39, Aagtenpoort and Westerhoutweg 2b. The last location has been approved by the municipal council. As soon as the new law comes into effect, procedures will be initiated to actually realize shelter at that location. In her answers to our questions, Beverwijk states that although she does not have an AZC, she does receive Ukrainians.
Portfolio holder Ali Bal believes that national measures are needed to limit the influx of asylum seekers and to distribute the reception of asylum seekers proportionately, so that the task per municipality does not become too large. He believes it is important that asylum seekers can be received in a humane manner and that municipalities can also continue to pay the right attention to other important tasks.
Heemskerk and Uitgeest
Heemskerk and Uitgeest are working together on the asylum seeker file. There are currently no refugees being received in either municipality. The established Kennemerland Regional Plan for the Reception of Asylum Seekers states that Uitgeest must arrange 51 reception places and Heemskerk 149. Both municipalities have agreed to build a reception center for 200 refugees on a piece of land in the rural area near the Tolweg.
This rural area has been classified as a special provincial landscape. In order to be allowed to build here temporarily, the province requires extensive research into the location. This research is now complete. It is not yet known when construction will actually take place. But the municipalities do not expect the new law to have many consequences for them, because they will meet the target of 200 refugees once the new center is in place.
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