Permit for asylum seekers center in the hotel

The Cabinet takes over a center licensing for asylum seekers in the town of Overijssel in Albergen. Thus, the Council of Ministers passes through the municipality of Tubbergen, where Albergen is located.

State Secretary Van der Burg wrote to the Chamber of Deputies that the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has purchased a hotel in Albergen. The municipality has been discussing receiving asylum seekers in that building since April, but no agreement has been reached.

With so much need and so few reception spaces, Van der Burg takes what he says is an exceptional step in deciding on the permit himself. And it was announced last week in general that the Council of Ministers wants to take advantage of this option.

This is now happening for the first time. “In this way, the central government is not bound by the willingness of the municipalities to open a COA site,” van der Burg wrote.

The hotel in Albergen is now equipped with 80 guests, but according to the foreign minister, it can accommodate 300 asylum seekers.

The COA stated that the hotel must be adapted for the arrival of asylum seekers early next month. According to the authority, the building itself can accommodate 200 asylum seekers. If required, an additional 100 people can stay in tents or cabins on site.

The Dutch Council for Refugees does not consider passing municipalities to be attractive. “But we also see that there is no other choice.” The organization is calling for Van der Burg to work on a law so that reception of asylum seekers can be distributed more equitably between municipalities.

In his letter to Parliament, van der Burg stressed that the Cabinet wanted to continue working with the municipality of Tubbergen and that the city council and local residents had to be properly involved.