Utrecht, in collaboration with the national government and parties from the asylum chain, is developing a person-oriented approach to combat nuisance at and around Utrecht Central Station. Mayor Sharon Dijksma (PvdA) will speak on Thursday a letter to the Utrecht city council of a strong increase in the number of nuisance safelanders, migrants who have little chance of obtaining an asylum permit.
According to Dijksma, “for a long time” there has been a worrying pattern of “substantial nuisance, intimidation and violent incidents”, especially under the ‘Bollendak’, the covered part of the Utrecht Stationsplein. There have been several stabbing incidents in recent weeks. In addition to safelanders, Dijksma points to drug and alcohol addicts and labor migrants from other EU countries.
Initially, about fifty nuisance-causing aliens were selected for the person-oriented approach. If they reside illegally in the Netherlands, Dijksma wants to have it assessed whether forced or voluntary departure from the Netherlands is possible, despite the fact that this is ‘very complicated’. The mayor of Utrecht writes that “more customization and strong cooperation with the government” are needed, partly because the nuisance-causing aliens would quickly move through the Netherlands.
Dijksma also announced other measures. For example, Utrecht is deploying more agents and enforcers on and around Stationsplein, security is being stepped up in the Hoog Catharijne shopping center and the mayor wants to ensure that nuisance causes can be temporarily banned from the area.