Currently, the emergency accommodation in Uden can accommodate a maximum of 200 refugees. The judge decided this today in an expedited procedure. With the decision, it seems that the emergency shelter at the hotel can be officially opened.
The Central Office for the Reception of Refugees (COA) plans to host 300 refugees in emergency accommodation at the Van der Valk Hotel over the next three years. Maashorst Municipality, to which Uden is affiliated, also approved this earlier this week.
The shelter had to remain closed at the last minute because the temporary judge canceled the permit at the last minute the day before. Neighborhood residents applied to the courthouse.
The first refugees arrived at the emergency accommodation centre, where no one was officially allowed to stay due to the suspension. However, the municipality decided not to pursue the case and to wait for today’s trial.
This afternoon, before the decision, Minister for Asylum Van der Burg expressed his hope that emergency accommodation would continue to be permitted. The Ter Apel registration center is overcrowded and Van der Burg is trying to get municipalities to organize receptions to prevent refugees from having to sleep in tents. “If Uden opens we can make it by Christmas.”
Conditions for community and COA
At today’s court hearing it was revealed that the permit should be adjusted according to the judge’s decision. According to Omroep Brabant, for example, the hotel can accommodate a maximum of 200 refugees, not 300. If this number is exceeded, you may face a fine.
Additionally, the court imposed certain conditions on the KGK and the municipality. For example, consultations should be held with a large group of residents every week, including on security.
The municipality is also responsible for the intensive care around the hotel. The judge must supervise the COA 24 hours a day and be available at all times.
persistent problem
According to Omroep Brabant, today’s emergency procedure is the fourth time a judge has had to decide on the animal shelter’s approval. The problem started when the municipality announced in July that the hotel would provide accommodation for asylum seekers.
A group of 32 residents went to court and requested a stay. They stated that the permit application was not appropriate and therefore they could not object.
The judge agreed with the residents and ruled that the municipality had been negligent. But the community objected. The court agreed with the residents, but stated that the ban on accommodation for asylum seekers should only be valid until the municipality issues an approval decision.
Yesterday, Maashorst Municipality announced that a total of 300 refugees will be allowed to stay in the hotel over the next three years. The neighborhood residents later appealed to the court again, and the license was postponed until today.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
