News item | 10-11-2023 | 2:45 PM
The pressure on asylum reception has been very high for some time, and the forecasts show that this pressure will only increase. This is evident from several letters that State Secretary Van der Maat of Justice and Security sent to the House of Representatives. These letters look ahead, among other things, to the tasks for 2024 when it comes to the expected asylum influx, the number of reception places and the tasks for municipalities for housing status holders. The State Secretary also informs about the progress of the National approach to nuisance-causing asylum seekers.
Acute solution
We ask a lot of all parties within the asylum chain, municipalities and provinces and this will continue in 2024. The current situation requires immediate solutions that cannot wait for actions that require more patience or more time. The flow of status holders in particular provides a lot of space in the asylum reception centre. With an eye for the local challenges on the housing market, together with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, provinces and municipalities, we looked at options to expand (temporary) housing options. For example, the concept of flow locations for the temporary housing of status holders in the region has been further developed. Flex or transformation projects are used to bring the housing stock up to standard. And for the short term, hotels and holiday parks are being looked at, in consultation with municipalities.
Forecasts
The six-monthly Multi-Year Production Forecast (MPP) shows that between 49,000 and 76,000 asylum seekers are expected to come to the Netherlands in 2024. Based on the forecasts for inflow, flow and outflow, COA expects a growth to 69,900 reception places on January 1, 2024. This could increase to 96,000 reception places on January 1, 2025. The increasing number of status holders in reception facilities results in a significantly higher expected capacity need. . The 96,000 shelter places take into account more than 21,000 status holders who are still in shelters according to the forecast on January 1, 2025. To prevent the numbers from actually rising to this level, the government is committed to a faster flow of status holders towards (temporary) housing.
Housing status holders
The target for municipalities for housing status holders has been adjusted from 27,300 to 17,600 in the second half of 2023. The reason for this is that fewer permits have been granted to status holders in the second half of 2023 than previously expected. These residence permits will be issued in 2024, which means that the time for housing will be postponed. In addition, there are approximately 16,000 status holders in COA reception locations. The housing challenge therefore remains as great as ever. The target for the first half of 2024 has been set at 18,750. The target for housing unaccompanied minors has not been reduced.
Assylum
Given the outgoing status of the cabinet, the focus in the coming period will be on tackling the most acute challenges in the short term. Naturally, we will continue to strive to create more reception locations in the country and tackle nuisance and criminal behavior of asylum seekers. In this way, we are specifically working on expanding process availability locations.
Naturally, the government continues to work, both nationally and internationally, to gain more control over migration.