Taking in refugees remains a struggle for the company. The problems at Ter Apel continue and a structural solution is still a long way off. The office now wants to see what is possible under current legislation, but even the use of its own real estate seems a complex task.
The agency recently investigated what it can do in the short term to relieve the Ter Apel application center. It’s been overcrowded there for weeks, so there aren’t enough beds on a regular basis.
One of the main reasons for full admission is that approximately thirteen thousand of the 39,000 reception places are occupied by resident asylum seekers (status holders). They should actually go to a foster family, but because of the great famine that is not possible. Municipalities receive a target figure for housing status holders every six months, but they are lagging far behind. According to Minister Hugo de Jonge (Massa Wonen), this is because some municipalities give priority to other home seekers or discussion groups.
De Jonge now wants status holders to buy a house faster. It calls on the provinces to let municipalities know that they are lagging behind in achieving their objectives.
Whether this will help much remains to be seen. If municipalities continue to indicate that they have no homes, then in extreme cases the province can take over from the municipality and, for example, designate a hotel to accommodate status holders. This is possible within the framework of current legislation. Nevertheless, De Jonge thinks and hopes that it will not come to that.
The cabinet also wants to claim its own vacancy for the reception of asylum seekers
In addition, the office wants to receive asylum seekers on its own vacant property, such as an old tax office or barracks. For the time being, this is still in consultation with municipalities, but according to De Jonge, some conversations are going “steep”.
The photo shows about ten buildings. Depending on the layout of the buildings, this is approximately 2,500 persons at a minimum and a maximum of ten thousand persons.
But before a government building can be used as a shelter, the location must have the correct zoning plan and also a permit. The municipality is in principle responsible for this, but if it does not cooperate, the government can do it itself, according to De Jonge. It just takes longer to get government approval, and it’s “much more complicated” to make zoning changes by the government.
According to De Jonge, if a place already meets both conditions, the reception can be organized ‘from a few days a week to a week’. This is the case with some buildings. The minister is unable to indicate exactly how many locations are involved.
Ultimately, there must be a law in which municipalities are responsible for the reception of asylum seekers. Minister of Foreign Affairs Eric van der Burg (Justice and Security) expects this to be resolved only at the end of this year or early next year.
Minister of Foreign Affairs is in discussion with the municipality about application center
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also wants to open a second, preferably even a third and fourth registration center, so that not all the pressure is placed on Ter Apel. The cabinet is currently in “very concrete discussions with a municipality” for such a place.
It is not yet known exactly when a new center may open its doors. Van der Burg does not want to say more about the location. The Minister of Foreign Affairs first wants to end all negotiations with the municipality.
Source: NU
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
