Emmen will not receive any additional asylum seekers. The majority of parties in the municipal council believe that Emmen is already doing enough about emergency shelter. The opinion is that other municipalities must take responsibility.
Only D66 voted in favor of GroenLinks’ motion. The other parties fear that crisis shelter in Emmen will make other municipalities less likely to take their responsibility. In addition, many parties believe that there should be a structural solution to the reception crisis.
Councilor Raymond Wanders said that Emmen has shown solidarity with Ter Apel since 2021. He also emphasized that the agreements made have always been fulfilled. However, according to the council, it is becoming increasingly difficult to organize crisis emergency care again. Wanders believes that municipalities must first comply with the dispersal law and is therefore against new crisis emergency shelters in Emmen.
In the motion, GroenLinks states that the Northern Netherlands has already borne a lot of responsibility in the reception crisis in recent years. According to the party, shelter places are still not fairly distributed across the country. GroenLinks also warns about the consequences of a humanitarian emergency for safety, quality of life and social peace in the region.
The party believes that Emmen, like Stadskanaal, can play a role in supporting Westerwolde to prevent acute emergencies. GroenLinks emphasizes that no one in the Netherlands should sleep outside and that municipalities must show solidarity in solving the asylum reception crisis.
GroenLinks also calls for attention to support, safety, guidance and limiting possible nuisance. In addition, the party wants the municipal council to be informed as quickly as possible about the possibilities, conditions and consequences of any temporary crisis emergency shelter.
