The municipalities of Noord-Holland Noord prefer to accept status holders than refugees. This is apparent from a letter from the mayors to the Ministry of Justice and Security. Instead of receiving 150 asylum seekers, the region is offering accelerated accommodation for 500 people with a residence permit.
The mayors of the municipalities within the North Holland North Security Region have jointly sent a letter to State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum and Migration).
Due to the situation in Ter Apel, the minister is making an urgent appeal to the security regions. For a period of two weeks, the region must create 150 places for refugees in crisis emergency shelters.
In the letter, Alkmaar, Hoorn, Den Helder, Schagen and Castricum, among others, offer what they consider to be a ‘more sustainable’ alternative. Namely the reception of 500 status holders. “From an ethical perspective, we find it undesirable that a situation threatens to arise in the coming period in which people who have already been through a lot are moved from one temporary reception location to another temporary reception location.”
Balance in task
The mayors also write that a balance must be found in the tasks facing municipalities. ‘A balance between the task for the reception of refugees from Ukraine, the task for the housing of beneficiaries and the task for crisis emergency reception for asylum seekers.’
The region would have shown solidarity with the COA and the ministry when it comes to the reception of refugees from Ukraine, making crisis emergency shelter available for refugees and housing status holders. According to the mayors involved, the region released 3,000 reception places for refugees from Ukraine at the end of June.
The municipalities want to talk to the minister and COA shortly to discuss the ‘preconditions’, including the accelerated admission of status holders.