Fines of up to 350,000 euros due to pressure on asylum centers in the Netherlands
The acting Minister of Asylum, Mona Kaiser, announced new measures that require dependent asylum seekers to leave the asylum centers earlier if a family member they followed has already obtained a home—even if the home is not yet suitable for the entire family. This decision aims to alleviate the severe overcrowding at the registration center in Ter Apel.
Currently, about 7,800 people are residing in asylum centers in the Netherlands after joining relatives who have already obtained residence permits. In around 2,000 cases, the relative has already received a designated home from the municipality. However, due to these homes not being ready to accommodate the entire family, the dependent family members remain stuck in the asylum centers, consuming spaces that are desperately needed.
Kaiser sees that the current overcrowding no longer allows for further waiting. With the easing of the rules, she expects that about 1,900 residents in the centers will be moved to suitable (partial) housing in a short time. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) will direct these people to the municipalities where their relatives live, "with all fairness and reasonableness," as Kaiser explained in a letter to Parliament.
The registration center in Ter Apel continues to face increasing numbers that exceed its capacity. On Monday night, there were 2,075 people staying there, the highest number since last November, exceeding the allowed limit of 2,000 people. Exceeding this limit incurs a daily fine of 50,000 euros on COA, and the fines have so far reached 350,000 euros. Authorities say this situation harms asylum seekers, staff, and village residents, as well as its high cost.
The ongoing congestion in the Dutch asylum system is due to a combination of a slight increase in the number of arrivals and a slow departure of current residents. Those who already have refugee status occupy about a quarter of COA places, but they remain in the centers due to a lack of permanent housing. Kaiser hopes that the new decision will help alleviate the pressure temporarily, alongside the reopening of a large temporary reception center in Bedinghausen at the end of October, which may provide some relief.
At the same time, Kaiser is pushing a controversial bill that prevents municipalities from giving priority in social housing to those with refugee status. Municipalities and the COA have warned that this measure could lead to further delays in the exit of recognized refugees from asylum centers, which could exacerbate the overcrowding that the government is trying to address.