A second application center for asylum seekers is to be built in Bant in the Noordoostpolder. State Secretary Eric van der Burg writes this in a letter to the House of Representatives. The municipality still has to officially approve.
The cabinet has been looking for a second location for some time, because the center in Ter Apel can no longer handle the influx of asylum seekers. Van der Burg has already held various talks with municipalities, but to date without result. Asylum seekers at the center in Ter Apel again slept outside last night.
Asylum seekers in the Netherlands must register at an application centre. Their personal details are recorded there and after registration the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) determines whether they will be admitted to the asylum procedure.
The land on which the application center is to be located has been purchased by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). Van der Burg spoke of an important step in spreading the pressure better. He acknowledged that it still takes time before the application center in Bant is actually there.
The municipality of Noordoostpolder must process the COA’s application. And if the municipality responds positively, it will also take time to build the shelters. It concerns about 250 to 300 places. The Secretary of State believes that this will take several months.