The municipality of Schagen has plans to build 120 houses in the area between Tuitjenhorn and Warmenhuizen. The houses are intended for temporary shelter for Ukrainian refugees. Stichting Dorpsraad Tuitjenhorn thinks 120 houses is just too many: “We are not against it, we certainly want to help people. We just think this number is far too high,” says chairman Sjaak Kruijer.
According to residents, the reception of refugees itself is not the problem, but the large number is. In addition, they are not afraid of the Ukrainian refugees, they give them a place.
But once the Ukrainian refugees have left (after their temporary shelter), according to the municipality, the houses are intended for status holders and emergency seekers, among others. Residents are afraid of the nuisance of these other, new residents.
serious shit
“These are houses that are built for a period of 20 years. The municipality pretends it is something small, but it is serious business,” says Kruijer.
He is afraid that if there is a nuisance, it will not be possible to respond adequately because there are too few police officers. “We have young people on the skating rink in the intermediate area who deal in drugs. We can’t control them, let alone four hundred people with a backpack coming to live,” he says.
Divide
However, according to the municipality of Schagen, residents do not have to worry. “We have to offer shelter to Ukrainian refugees who stay in the Netherlands for longer. And furthermore, it is just Dutch people who will live in the in-between area, we try to distribute the status holders well,” says mayor Marjan van Kampen.
“Every municipality would like extra police officers, but that is certainly not necessary for this in-between area,” she concludes.