“I’ll come and take a look soon” and “As long as there won’t be any more nuisance”. Residents of the former Ericcson building in Emmen have mixed reactions to the municipality’s plan to use the building as a new reception location for around 400 Ukrainian refugees.
Dozens of local residents of the proposed location will gather on Monday evening in a large, white hall that, if everything goes according to plan, will become the new communal space of the reception location.
Although the municipality’s plans are being listened to carefully, it soon becomes apparent that there are still many questions among local residents. “It now seems as if everything is all set and done, but I am still missing a lot of information,” says one of the attendees who prefers to remain anonymous. “I am afraid of tensions between this group of refugees and people from the AZC, which is a kilometer away from here.” She refers to the Hesselanden family location near the Emmer Rietlanden district. “There is already a lot of nuisance at Emmen-Zuid station, and there does not seem to have been much thought given to what the arrival of this large group will do to the existing nuisance.”
Others also indicate that they are afraid of nuisance, for example in the nearby De Rietlanden shopping center. Another local resident indicated that he would like to know more about the exact composition of the group.
Councilor Raymond Wanders (PvdA) says he understands that people are afraid of nuisance, but emphasizes: “The reception of Ukrainians is not the same as nuisance.” He therefore encourages the neighborhood to take a look at the location themselves and make contact with the new neighbors, should the plans go ahead.
A couple who also attended the information evening are not concerned about any inconvenience, on the contrary, they are looking forward to the arrival of the new neighbors. “Our company is located on this site and we were curious about the plans,” they explain. “When the time comes, we will take a quick look here. Perhaps there are people with a background in technology who are still looking for a job. As far as we are concerned, they can work with us.”
The municipality of Emmen wants to move the reception of Ukrainians from the Ambachtsschool on Weerdingerstraat to the former Ericsson building on Nieuw Amsterdamsestraat. Reason for the move: the current location can no longer be used as a shelter from 2027 because homes will be built on this site.
The municipality of Emmen sees the former Ericcson building on the industrial estate as a suitable alternative to the current location on Weerdingerstraat: “This new location is suitable for around 400 beds, there is an outdoor area where children can play and there is plenty of parking,” explains councilor Wanders. “There is parking nuisance for local residents at the old location, but this will soon no longer be the case because there are enough parking spaces at the new location.”
The municipality wants to rent the building for a period of three years, with the possibility of extension. “If the war in Ukraine is not over in three years, we will see what we are going to do,” said Wanders. But it is certain that the municipality of Emmen offers shelter to war refugees. “We have been given the task of organizing shelters for Ukrainian refugees due to the war in that country. We have a target of 1,300 refugees and are currently receiving around 1,000 refugees.”
The city council will decide on the possible moves at the beginning of January. The final move is planned for the end of 2026.