The municipality of Velsen wants to place a sea cruise ship in Velsen-Noord to provide shelter for approximately 1,000 refugees. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has decided this today. The ship must be available for six months from 1 August for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
The intended location for the ship is on the VOB quay at the Noordwijkermeer business park in Velsen-Noord. The Executive Board will consult with part of the Council on 23 June, after which the Executive Board will make a decision on the plan.
With the installation of the mega-ship, the municipality hopes to ‘make a contribution to the solution’. “There is an urgent and extensive problem surrounding the reception of refugees in the Netherlands. The situation in Ter Apel makes this clear every day,” the municipality writes. “Not only from the demand from the national government, also from our hearts.”
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The inhabitants of the village of Velsen-Noord, which has about 5,300 inhabitants, will certainly notice the arrival of the refugees. According to the municipality, it is expected that “the residents of the ship will mainly use the facilities in Velsen-Noord and Beverwijk”.
The conversation with the local residents has yet to take place. The city council was informed today with a memo.
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Councilor from Velsen-Noord: “We are going to fight”
Councilor Leo Aardenburg from Velsen-Noord of the local party LGV is furious at the decision. “This goes against everything. Velsen-Noord is in trouble again. Why can’t this be done elsewhere?”
Since the news came out, his phone has been red hot. “I’ve been on the phone all afternoon,” he says. No one he speaks to understands the proposal. “We are going to fight,” Aardenburg warns. “We continue to fight for every paving stone that is in the ground.”
De Velsen-Noorder, who was elected to the council with more than 600 preferential votes, emphasizes that ‘it is not about the people, but the location’. “We are a deprived area, and we are proud of it. But things like this just kick it further down. It’s already overcrowded here, it just can’t handle it.”
A community meeting is planned for June 27. The municipality has opened a special website with more information, here is also a letter to local residents.
Security
COA is responsible for all facilities on the ship. This includes all staff and security.
In addition to the cruise ship in Velsen-Noord, a small-scale reception location must also be built in Driehuis. This one is for minor refugees. In this case, it concerns 60 to 100 refugees.