Municipalities in Holland Rijnland and Midden-Holland are committed to providing sustainable shelter for refugees
There is a major national challenge in the area of asylum reception. This calls for regional cooperation. The municipal executive boards of the municipalities in the Holland Rijnland and Midden-Holland regions have reached agreements on how they intend to proceed with creating accommodations for asylum seekers for a period of at least five years.
The municipal councils reached agreements even before the Distribution Act was enacted. Through the “Distribution Act,” the government aims to distribute the reception of asylum seekers evenly among municipalities in the Netherlands. The agreements will soon be presented to the municipal councils.
An extra question on top of that
Accommodating asylum seekers in municipalities creates additional demand on top of the already high demand for housing. Municipalities are doing their utmost to provide housing for first-time homebuyers, seniors, recognized refugees, people living in mobile homes, migrant workers, ordinary people looking for housing, and numerous other target groups.
The need to create additional childcare spots is putting even greater pressure on the available space than there already was. Municipalities therefore urgently need financial and planning support from the national government and the province of South Holland.
Joining Forces to Find a Solution
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has had insufficient reception capacity for some time now. Last summer, the national government, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, the Interprovincial Consultative Body, and the Security Council joined forces to find a solution, which resulted in an agreement.
The “Distribution Act” is one of the measures included in this agreement. This law stipulates that all municipalities must provide childcare facilities in proportion to their population.
Agreements Regarding Child Care
The municipalities in Midden-Holland and Holland Rijnland have reached agreements on the reception of 2,200 asylum seekers for a period of at least five years. Under these agreements, the executive boards of both regions will be tasked with coordinating, promoting, and monitoring the agreements between the municipalities.
The number of asylum seekers and their distribution among regions and municipalities is determined based on population figures. It has also been agreed that the possibilities will be explored to determine the extent to which sustainable, larger reception centers can play a role in providing support for sustainable, smaller-scale reception centers.
These agreements will be presented to the councils of the eighteen municipalities involved. Approval of these agreements will ensure broad support for resolving the issues surrounding asylum reception.
Partnering Municipalities
The following municipalities collaborate within Holland Rijnland: Alphen aan den Rijn, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Oegstgeest, Voorschoten, Nieuwkoop, Kaag en Braassem, Hillegom, Lisse, Teylingen, Noordwijk, Katwijk, and Zoeterwoude.
The following municipalities in Midden-Holland are collaborating: Waddinxveen, Gouda, Krimpenerwaard, Zuidplas, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk.