Arnhem will permanently receive 1,700 asylum seekers, 1,000 more than required according to the dispersal law

Arnhem will permanently receive 1,700 asylum seekers, 1,000 more than required according to the dispersal law | RTL News

The municipality of Arnhem and the Central Shelter for Asylum Seekers (COA) have signed a contract to accommodate 1,700 refugees for at least the next 30 years. That is 1,000 more places than the municipality must accommodate according to the dispersal law. They want to organize a better form of shelter with such a long-term contract.

Approximately 2,000 refugees are currently being accommodated in Arnhem. Ukrainians are not included in this, because they are not covered by the COA. The refugees now mainly stay in temporary shelters, including six asylum ships. That’s going to change.

The municipality has designated four places in the city that will function as permanent reception locations, and refugees are now also housed permanently or temporarily at three locations. The temporary AZC in the Elden district will be demolished and replaced by a new AZC. If the municipal council approves, 800 new places will be created in the new Rijnpark residential area: 450 before 2030 and 350 afterwards. Temporary locations will also be expanded in the short term.

‘It’s in our DNA’

“It is in our DNA to be hospitable,” says councilor Paul Smeulders (Refugees) to RTL News about the new agreement with COA. “Unknown is unloved, which is why we in Arnhem want newcomers to feel welcome in our city from the first moment and become a full part of our society.”

The COA is also enthusiastic. “This allows us to plan with a long-term vision and ensure a stable and supportive environment in which refugees can recover, grow, participate and integrate,” says COA director Joeri Kapteijns.

The municipality wants to invest in asylum seekers who come to live in the city from day one. “That they will learn the language and can do work or volunteer work. There will be a participation desk at every AZC location where asylum seekers can register to play sports or do volunteer work. This way they will quickly get to know Arnhem and the people of Arnhem,” says the councilor. Smolder out.

That works both ways, the councilor thinks. “If you know who it is and know their escape story and future plans, we think it will be much easier to get to know each other.”

Lunchroom in AZC

In 2020, the municipality of Arnhem conducted research into how residents of the Elden district experience the AZC in their neighborhood. 70 percent said they experienced few or no problems at the time. The 30 percent who did experience nuisance mainly mentioned the cycling behavior of the asylum seekers and the waste they would leave on the street.

Councilor Smeulders does not expect that permanent shelter will lead to more complaints from Arnhem residents. “Residents know where they stand,” he says. “There are hardly any complaints now and with the permanent locations we can invest more in connection. For example, by opening a lunchroom in an AZC, making it a nice place to go instead of a parallel society.”

No austerity

Smeulders emphasizes that the municipality will not agree to a reduction in reception facilities if a new cabinet decides to do so. “Part of the agreements we have made is that reception will not be cut back, the COA has signed this and we will adhere to it. We do not want prison-like reception here.”

The municipality is currently contributing money to accommodate asylum seekers, but this will no longer be necessary because the COA will then cover the costs. “That will be one million per year for the next three years,” said the councilor.

The distribution law

The dispersal law has been in force since February 1 this year, which determines how many reception places are needed for asylum seekers for the next two years. These shelter places are distributed among the municipalities based on the population and the social economy score of a municipality.

The numbers must be achieved per province, but how many asylum seekers a municipality receives does influence a bonus. Each additional place that a municipality offers yields 2,000 euros. In the case of the municipality of Arnhem, this concerns 980 additional places, which amounts to a bonus of almost 2 million euros. This money can be spent freely by the municipality and therefore does not have to go to the reception of asylum seekers.