Construction of the Nuenen asylum seekers' center may proceed

On June 25, 2026, the judge presiding over preliminary relief proceedings at the Oost-Brabant District Court rejected a request by a local resident to halt construction and prevent occupancy. Construction of the temporary asylum seeker center (AZC) in Nuenen may proceed. Asylum seekers may also be housed there.

The COA received a permit from the municipalities of Nuenen, Gerwen, and Nederwetten to establish a temporary asylum seekers’ center on Pastoorsmast in Nuenen. A local resident disagrees with this decision and has taken the matter to court. The court will hear his appeal—and those of others—at a later date in a trial on the merits. In the meantime, the resident sought to halt construction through an expedited proceeding before the preliminary relief judge and prevent the COA from opening the asylum center.

Safety Ensured

The local resident is particularly concerned about the impact on public safety resulting from the arrival of the asylum seekers’ center. The judge in preliminary relief proceedings can only halt construction if the municipality had made a clearly unlawful decision when issuing the permit. The judge found that this is not the case. It has not been demonstrated that public safety is insufficiently safeguarded under administrative law in the permit. A safety plan is in place, and agreements have been made regarding consultations with local residents. The municipality has also indicated that it will take action against any potential disturbances.

It is important that the asylum seeker center be ready for use

Although the concerns of local residents are understandable, the preliminary relief judge ruled that the importance of the licensed temporary shelter outweighs those concerns in this case. The issue of shelter capacity for asylum seekers in the Netherlands is highly topical, and the need is urgent. It is therefore important that this new asylum seekers’ center be put into operation.

The judge in preliminary relief proceedings therefore denies the request made by the local resident. This means that construction of the asylum seekers’ center may continue and that it may be put into use.

The full judgment: ECLI:NL:RBOBR:2026:4505, District Court of East Brabant, 26/11/14