To properly arrange youth care in the Ter Apel asylum center, Westerwolde will not be able to rely on the money it receives from the government this year.
“The Hague has a budget for youth care in asylum seekers’ centers, but because only reception locations have been opened in the recent period, that money has to be spread over more places and we receive less,” says councilor Wietze Potze (PvdA).
Long arranged by COA
For a long time, care for young people with psychological problems in asylum seekers’ centers was regulated by the COA. A few years ago, the government decided that municipalities that have a reception location on their territory were given that task. Westerwolde was thus given responsibility for youth care in the country’s largest asylum seekers’ center.
“We also received a budget from the government for that task,” says Potze. “We hire two workers for this who have a workplace in the asylum center and do social work there. They help young people, but it concerns problems that affect the entire family. This approach turned out well.”
Shortage for the first time
Until now, Westerwolde could pay the costs for this approach with the national budget. The municipality received more than 200,000 euros annually. “But this year the budget has become smaller due to the increased number of asylum seekers’ centers and we have a shortage for the first time.” Potze cannot yet say how large that shortage is.
The municipal administrators want ‘The Hague’ to eliminate that deficit and put extra money on the table. “We are having discussions about this with the national government.” These discussions are part of the ‘major’ consultation that Westerwolde is conducting about the reception location and the nuisance caused by some of its residents.