State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) is on his way to Nieuw-Weerdinge and Ter Apel to discuss the problems surrounding nuisance-causing asylum seekers. Around the end of the afternoon he visits Nieuw-Weerdinge to talk to mayor Eric van Oosterhout and residents.
The villages of Ter Apel and Nieuw-Weerdinge have been burdened for quite some time by nuisance caused mainly by safelanders (asylum seekers with little chance of a permanent residence permit). For residents it runs out of steam because of robberies, shoplifting, vandalism, intimidation and threats.
The plan is to open a special reception center in Ter Apel on 1 July, where asylum seekers are obliged to wait for their asylum application to be processed. In that case they cannot leave the site and that should prevent the nuisance.
This form of reception should actually be in operation this month, but has been delayed.
According to a spokesperson for Van der Burg, this afternoon will mainly be about the concerns that exist. The State Secretary has also emphasized that the special reception center must open next week.