The fact that the VVD Senate faction made it clear last night that it would vote in favor of the dispersal law has caused relief in Drenthe. With the dispersal law, asylum seekers should be distributed more fairly across municipalities in the country and, in extreme cases, municipalities could be forced to provide shelter. “I hope it will be successful.”
According to Eric van Oosterhout (PvdA), mayor of Emmen, this law is good news for his municipality. In recent years, the nuisance caused by asylum seekers in Nieuw-Weerdinge has increased and the call for more measures has increased. “I think this is a very good first step towards a more decent solution to the refugee issue,” he says.
The news surprised Van Oosterhout. “Quite a bit. We are following it closely and it would be exciting. But the fact that the VVD Senate faction in particular will now vote in favor was quite a surprise.”
Despite the happiness that a majority of the Senate supports the dispersal law, Van Oosterhout is cautious. “The direction is good. We are also happy with the distribution law, but I have no illusion that the problem will be solved next week.”
“Extremely happy”, says King’s Commissioner Jetta Klijnsma, with the Senate majority that is in favor of the dispersal law. “Our mayors have always helped with receiving asylum seekers, but often said: ‘Why do we always have to and why does the rest do so little? Can’t the rest also take a step forward?’ And that is now possible.”
Drenthe, together with the province of Groningen, is an exception when it comes to the reception of refugees. Over the past twelve years, every municipality in these provinces has received asylum seekers. The upcoming dispersal law will ensure a fairer distribution of asylum seekers across the rest of the country, Klijnsma emphasizes. “With this law, municipalities can no longer say: we have absolutely no space.”
Klijnsma himself was present in The Hague yesterday to hand over a petition calling on the Senate to vote in favor of the dispersal law. According to her, that also influenced the result. “It was referred to several times in the debate that provinces, municipalities and the King’s Commissioners are asking for this law in order to resolve the asylum issue in a calm manner. If all municipalities participate, it will really be so much easier to ensure that Ter Apel is not always overloaded.”
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