Half of the Dutch support requiring municipalities to accept asylum seekers, according to a survey.
Half of the population of the Netherlands believes that the government should have the authority to compel municipalities to host asylum seekers, according to a survey conducted by Kieskompas and analyzed by ANP. About 41% of the population opposes this measure.
Support is highest in the municipalities of Tynaarlo and Utrecht, where about 70% of the population supports the law. In Westerwolde, which includes the reception center Ter Apel, two-thirds of the population supports this measure, showing strong local acceptance.
In contrast, the residents of Urk strongly oppose the law, with more than 70% believing that municipalities should not be forced to accept asylum seekers. Bunschoten and Rucphen also show high levels of opposition, areas where the PVV party—strongly opposed to the spreidingswet law—historically performs well.
The survey was part of Kieskompas, an electoral aid tool that allows citizens to compare their opinions with the positions of political parties. For the Dutch parliamentary elections in 2025, more than 1.2 million people responded to the statement regarding the spreidingswet law: "The national government may require municipalities to host more asylum seekers to ensure a fair distribution of reception throughout the Netherlands."
The spreidingswet law came into effect in February of last year, requiring all municipalities to play a legal role in receiving asylum seekers. Previously, it depended on the willingness of the municipalities, but the new law ensures a more even distribution across the country.