Municipalities are not happy with the 5,600 extra places for asylum seekers that the cabinet is asking of them. The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) speaks of a “very far-reaching measure, which does not contribute to a structural solution to the asylum problem”.
Instead, the VNG would rather see the government start working on long-term solutions soon. The umbrella organization is thereby referring to a structural approach for asylum reception and housing for beneficiaries.
During a meeting with cabinet members on Monday, the security regions also insisted on structural measures for the long term. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has also done this before. Nevertheless, State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) said on Tuesday that all 25 security regions must each arrange another 225 extra crisis emergency shelters.
With this emergency measure, the State Secretary wants to prevent people from having to sleep on the street. According to Van der Burg, the situation in the application center in Ter Apel is untenable. The more than 5,600 places are on top of the previously agreed 5,500 crisis places.
VNG also does not want to place asylum seekers with Ukrainians
In addition, the cabinet wants asylum seekers to be able to go to the unused reception places for refugee Ukrainians. The VNG is not in favor of this either. “The locations are available for a limited time. In addition, municipalities are concerned about the mixing of groups.” Currently, about 70 percent of the Ukrainians incarcerated are women. 32 percent of the group is underage.
In addition, municipalities have made agreements with local residents that certain reception locations are only intended for Ukrainians, the VNG argues.
The cabinet realizes that it demands a lot from the security regions and the municipalities in them. Other short-term measures to relieve the pressure on the application center in Ter Apel do not work well, according to the cabinet.
The cabinet also decided on Tuesday that it can now force a municipality to use a government building as an asylum seekers center if the municipality refuses to do so. The government would prefer not to see this happen, but it will keep this option open.