Municipalities demand consultation this week about pressure on asylum reception

Municipalities want to discuss the pressure on asylum reception with the cabinet this week. Sharon Dijksma, chair of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), wrote this in a letter to caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof. According to the VNG, the cabinet is responsible for resolving the problems surrounding refugee reception.

"It's getting out of hand. Municipal governments are increasingly being hampered in their work," writes Dijksma. She cites examples such as disrupted council meetings about shelters, administrators being intimidated, and the escalating situation in Ter Apel .

The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) says it understands residents' concerns about asylum reception. At the same time, the umbrella organization believes that hosting large groups of refugees is no longer responsible, while the asylum system is stalled.

"We have repeatedly asked for help and warned you early on, but the necessary preconditions are far from being met," Dijksma continues in a letter to Schoof. She warns that the situation extends beyond the asylum and reception dossier. "The democratic rule of law is being undermined, the safety of residents and administrators is being jeopardized, and municipalities are finding it increasingly difficult to carry out their statutory duties. This is unacceptable."

The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) has identified five specific problems that need to be addressed. According to the umbrella organization, "immediate government oversight and administrative support" are needed, and legislation and regulations need to be clarified. Municipalities want Schoof to explain the steps he intends to take this week.

For the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 29th, Geert Wilders is strongly committed to asylum. According to Wilders, politicians have made "anti-Dutch" choices in recent decades: "The PVV is putting up a democratic resistance."