Emergency Shelter for Status Holders in Voorschoten

At the request of the COA, the Municipality of Voorschoten has extended the term of the emergency shelter location at the Van der Valk hotel De Gouden Leeuw. The new term runs until 31 December 2026.

In recent years, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has been facing a high influx of asylum seekers. Due to this increased influx and (over)crowded existing facilities, the need for housing for asylum seekers and status holders is particularly great. The COA has stated that the emergency shelter at the Van der Valk hotel in Voorschoten is an important part of the reception process. The collaboration between the municipality of Voorschoten and the COA is going well. For this reason, the COA has asked the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations ( executive board ) to extend the emergency shelter in Voorschoten.

Extension of term

The municipality has decided to extend the term of the emergency shelter location until 31 December 2026. The target group for the extension is essentially the same group currently staying at the hotel. These are status holders awaiting permanent housing in another municipality, and/or travellers arriving for family reunification. This concerns a group of people with a future perspective in NL.

Severe shortage of shelter spaces

Alderman Hans van der Elst: “Unfortunately, we’re still seeing a significant nationwide shortage of housing at asylum seeker centers (AZCs). One reason for this is that status holders have to wait a long time for permanent housing. As a result, they stay in the COA’s AZCs longer than planned and, so to speak, ‘occupy’ those spots. The municipality of Voorschoten is happy to once again do its part to address this social problem and relieve the pressure on the azcs. We are doing this by extending the temporary emergency shelter at the Van der Valk hotel.”

New developments

Starting December 1, 2025, the COA will ask the municipality of Voorschoten to also accommodate families with children at Van der Valk. The “ executive board ” has agreed to this. The total number of accommodation spots at Van der Valk in Voorschoten will remain at a maximum of 200.

More information

For more information about the temporary emergency shelter, residents can visit the municipal website. Other questions can be submitted via the email address gemeente@voorschoten.nl or by telephone at 14071. For reports and complaints directly related to the shelter location, residents can contact the COA location manager via telephone number 06-52475188.