Reception of asylum seekers
Reception of asylum seekers
The College of Mayor and Aldermen has made the plot at Van den Elsenstraat 36 available to COA in December 2023 for the realization of a reception site for asylum seekers. COA must submit a plan to the municipality for this purpose. The COA is currently investigating the location and has not yet submitted an official plan for realization of a shelter.
Frequently asked questions and answers shelter location Van den Elsenstraat
General
What is the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee?
According to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. Reasons for persecution may include origin, religion, nationality, political opinion or sexual preference.
Refugees can be granted asylum when they are at risk of torture or inhuman or degrading punishment. A person can also be granted asylum when the situation in a country is particularly unsafe, such as when there is a war.
More than 150 states have joined the UN Refugee Convention. The Netherlands did so in 1956. Every state, which has signed the treaty, must abide by its rules. This means, among other things, that refugees and asylum seekers may not be sent back to a country where they are in danger. In the Netherlands, during the asylum procedure, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) decides on the application for asylum and whether the asylum seeker is recognized as a refugee.
Asylum seekers are persons who have left their own country and seek protection in another country. When they apply for asylum, they invoke the UN Refugee Convention and want to be recognized as refugees. They must apply for asylum at the application center in Ter Apel or at Schiphol to start the asylum procedure. Until they are recognized as refugees, they are called asylum seekers and have fewer rights.
Which agency is responsible for the realization of the shelter?
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) takes care of the reception of asylum seekers in the Netherlands during the asylum procedure. This means that COA provides housing from the moment the asylum seeker applies for asylum in the Netherlands until the moment the asylum seeker has to leave the Netherlands or is granted a residence permit. For questions, more information about COA and contact information, please visit www.coa.nl (This link goes to another website).
The responsibility for the construction and management of the reception location in Son en Breugel lies with COA. This organization is responsible for the reception and guidance of asylum seekers in the Netherlands.
What is the status of the shelter development?
COA is facing capacity problems, which is delaying planning. Therefore, we cannot yet say when COA will submit a concrete plan to us. This may take several months. The organization is currently engaged in technical research.
Questions, which are about the shelter site itself (such as start of construction, appearance, public transportation, residents), we cannot answer at this time.
It goes without saying that issues, such as ensuring livability and safety, for residents and for shelter residents are important concerns for the municipality.
Why did the municipality make the plot available to COA for the reception of asylum seekers in Son en Breugel?
With the Spread Law (effective Feb. 1, 2024) and the enormous pressure on centers such as Ter Apel and Budel, the municipality itself has taken the initiative to find a location to create a shelter.
For Son and Breugel, that means we are being asked to accommodate 119 people.
From a human point of view, we must and want to contribute to the reception of people who have left their own country and are seeking protection in the Netherlands. The city council also asked us to actively seek opportunities to do so. See Motie noodopvang vluchtelingen pvdagl e.a. (sonenbreugel.nl).
How many people can be accommodated at the Van den Elsen Street location?
We assume a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 70 asylum seekers. The exact number is not known. This is because COA has not yet submitted an application for the realization of the shelter.
The task order is sheltering 119 people. Will there be a second location then?
When we purchased the plot at 36 Van den Elsenstraat, we assumed the then current task order of 65 to 70 people. With the introduction of the Spreading Act (February 1, 2024), it turned out that Son en Breugel is expected to have to accommodate 119 asylum seekers. The Van den Elsenstraat 36 location cannot accommodate this number. We are looking for an additional location to meet this renewed task order. We are doing this together with the province and regional municipalities.
Who pays the cost of hosting asylum seekers?
The municipality of Son en Breugel bought the plot. That way we keep control. The costs for the reception of asylum seekers lie with COA. According to the Spread Law, the municipality is responsible for organizing reception locations for asylum seekers.
We are already hosting Ukrainian refugees in Son and Breugel. Why was it chosen to host asylum seekers as well?
We stand together in the Netherlands to receive refugees and asylum seekers. Besides Ukrainian refugees, other people who leave their country and seek protection in another country also need our help. We must and want to help with this.
About the process
Why were local residents informed only after the purchase of the plot was complete?
Every municipality must contribute to the reception of asylum seekers. The college took responsibility for searching for and finding a possible reception location in Son en Breugel. Despite the fact that at that time we were still awaiting COA and therefore did not have more information, we felt it was important to involve the town council and residents early on in the process. This is also difficult because, like the city council and residents, we were still awaiting further information.
Why were residents not allowed to have a say in the location?
The college took responsibility for making the site selection. The municipality then made the site available to COA. The local residents have been informed about this. They will be involved in the process of realizing the shelter.
How will local residents be involved in the realization of the shelter?
That is not yet known. Once COA has submitted a plan, more information will follow.
About the shelter location
How did the municipality arrive at the choice of this location?
We reviewed locations on Veerstraat and in the outlying area in Sonniuswijk with COA in the spring of 2023. These locations turned out to be especially suitable for larger groups of asylum seekers. Because we did not consider this appropriate for our scale and because other developments would interfere with these locations, these sites were rejected.
Subsequently, no new sites were found. When the plot at 36 Van den Elsen Street was put up for sale, we decided to purchase it.
At the time of the purchase, we had not yet consulted with COA about this location. Should the location not have been found suitable by COA, the possibility existed to use this location as a development location for housing, for example. This will still happen when this location is no longer needed as a reception location.
This location does not stand in the way of current and future (residential) developments; the possibility offered by the location is appropriate to the scale of our municipality. There are facilities nearby.
The municipality bought the plot from a private party. Is that allowed?
The College of Mayor and Aldermen is authorized to purchase the plot and building. See article 160 paragraph 1e of the Municipal Law: 'The college is in any case authorized to decide on private legal acts of the municipality'. You can view the Municipal Law on the Internet: https://wetten.overheid.nl.
What happens once COA submits a plan for shelter realization to the municipality
In order for the shelter to become a reality, COA must first make a plan and submit an application to the municipality. The municipality will then process it. For the arrival of the shelter, the environmental plan (which was called zoning plan before January 1, 2024) must be amended. To do this, the municipality then starts a spatial procedure. This procedure includes that COA involves the immediate neighbors and other interested parties in the plans for the reception location.
I want to request compensation for loss (formerly plan damage). How do I do that?
If you think your home will lose value due to the arrival of a shelter, you can apply for disadvantage compensation. If you are entitled to this under the law, you will receive compensation for loss.
You can submit a request for this when the decision is final, i.e. when all spatial procedures are completed.
Can I object to the location?
This is not possible at this time. COA has not yet submitted a plan for the realization of a reception location
I would like to talk to someone because I have concerns and questions.
You can. You can send an e-mail to Simon Le Fèvre at locatievandenelsenstraat@sonenbreugel.nl. Don't forget to include your name and phone number.
Is your question not listed? Please email us at locatievandenelsenstraat@sonenbreugel.nl.