The penalty of 50,000 euros per day is again in sight for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), due to the maximum number of asylum seekers currently staying in the registration center. Last night the number was asylum seekers on 1998.
That penalty was imposed by the judge at COA at the end of last year. That money must be paid to the municipality of Westerwolde, who went to court for the second time.
A spokesperson for the COA announced last week that it would take into account that the numbers rise again, and the number can therefore exceed 2,000. This is related to the closure of a number of reception locations. Furthermore, hardly any homes are released for status holders who can stay in the Netherlands.
As a result, there is no flow in the asylum seekers’ centers and the problems accumulate in Ter Apel. It will also remain busy in the registration center in the coming period, as is the expectation.
During the visit of Minister Faber van Asylum and Migration on Thursday, there was mainly talk of measures to tackle nuisance asylum seekers. This happens in a weakened form, after the judge previously put a stop for a weighted regime for this group. There is not much confidence that these adjusted measures help with the city council and the residents and entrepreneurs in Ter Apel.