The college has made the decision on the location for the AZC. In order to reach a management agreement with COA, we are going through a process involving the sounding board group for the reception of refugees and the city council. The college is authorized to sign this (private-law) management agreement. In the subsequent spatial procedure it will be possible for interested parties to submit views and objections. Exactly how this procedure will proceed depends on the application COA submits to the municipality.
Tip: all permit applications are published on Overheid.nl. It also states how you can submit views or objections. You can subscribe to an e-mail service. You will automatically be notified of new permit applications.

COA and the municipality make agreements together about the quality of life and safety around the reception location and how these are monitored. We include the wishes, concerns and information of local residents (represented in the sounding board group for the reception of refugees) in these agreements. For example, we look at how we can minimize safety risks by taking certain measures. The mayor is responsible for public order and safety in the municipality. COA provides 24-hour security at the reception location itself.

We will engage with these organizations. We therefore hope that they will come forward to us (to the extent that they have not already done so). It's a topic that won't come up until a later stage, though, so we can't be more concrete about it until later in the year.

The University of Groningen (RUG) conducted research on this in 2019. At AZCs with "less than five hundred asylum seekers, no notable drop in sales prices was observed. If they think that their house price will still drop as a result of a spatial development, homeowners always have the option of asking for planning compensation.

More residents usually means more police. But 200 more people is not necessarily a reason to deploy additional officers for Nuenen. By comparison, the police law states the aspiration to have one police officer per 5,000 inhabitants. People who disturb public order regardless of their background are dealt with by the police according to the applicable rules and laws. As it says in Article 1 of the Constitution: "All who are in the Netherlands are treated equally in equal cases." This therefore applies to everyone, including asylum seekers.  

These are temporary homes/residential units, which (it seems) do not require a lengthy zoning plan procedure. The procedure will therefore be shorter than that of housing plans that do require a zoning procedure. Exactly how long the procedure will take depends on the type of permit requested, whether that application falls under the new Omgevingswet (as of Jan. 1, 2024) and how the objection and appeal procedures go.

It has not yet been determined when we will build in an evaluation moment. We are still discussing this with COA.

No, the municipality does not make money from it. We do understand why that idea may have arisen:
1. For receiving refugees from Ukraine, municipalities receive compensation, which is known to be on the high side compared to the costs most municipalities appear to incur. However, these are (on the Pastor's mast) ordinary asylum seekers.

2. The proposal for a new asylum law (also called the Spreading Act) talks about bonuses for municipalities that voluntarily receive asylum seekers. Municipalities are against this; it would be unfair to municipalities that already take in asylum seekers or that have no possibility to take in asylum seekers even though they would like to. This Spreading Act has not yet been enacted and it remains to be seen whether it will happen any time soon.

The municipality does not receive compensation for each asylum seeker placed. However, the municipality does receive compensation for general facilities such as infrastructure and public transport. The municipality can also receive compensation for information costs, costs for subsidies to volunteer groups or for missed OZB revenue. Detailed information can be found on COA's site.

The Spreading Act provides that municipalities can be forced from the state to accommodate asylum seekers. As mentioned, this law has not yet been passed. Municipalities are therefore not yet obliged or forced to accommodate refugees. However, an appeal has been made to municipalities. Ter Apel is overflowing. We have an acute humanitarian problem in the Netherlands. The municipality of Nuenen wants to contribute to this itself. This is an own choice of the town council (college and town council).

Regarding distribution within Nuenen, the difficulty is the operational management of multiple smaller locations. Smaller reception locations are difficult to implement because each location requires staff for reception and supervision, for security, for day care, and so on. Staff is hard to find nationwide. Moreover, smaller locations are proportionally much more expensive. COA does not have an infinite budget, so it simply has to look at costs.

A doctor is on site several times a week. This is arranged by COA. The municipality is responsible for schooling (compulsory education). COA helps with the^{first year} of school in a language class so that they learn the language well. After six months, asylum seekers can apply for a BSN which allows them to work for a limited time. In Veldhoven they are running a pilot where people are already working. In Nuenen we are also already thinking about a construction for people to work, for example under the wings of the WSD (social employment service). Meanwhile, the WSD already has a lot of experience with this target group and its successful involvement in the employment process.

COA is certainly bound by rules and legislation. Indeed, there is a Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers Act (1994). Read more at COA's site.
So COA is the implementing organization of that law. And as is the case with all implementing organizations: of course they move with changing society as much as possible and learn from experience. But they are always bound by the possibilities offered by the law. COA has a program of requirements for assessing and realizing locations. This program of requirements stems from laws and regulations and past experiences.

There is a humanitarian refugee crisis in the Netherlands. The reception of refugees has stalled and this has been leading to distressing situations for some time. In Southeast Brabant, COA needs 2,900 additional places. Municipalities have received the call from the security regions to accommodate refugees. Every municipality in the Netherlands therefore has a task to meet. With the arrival of this COA reception site, Nuenen is contributing its share.

Building is possible only by temporarily deviating from the zoning plan. This is allowed for a maximum of 10 years. A sports hall is a building that stays longer and that is not possible at this location. So is permanent housing. COA can place units for 10 years. These units are suitable for temporary housing.

The letter in question is not known to the mayor. It appears to be a letter from the Minister of Justice and Security addressed to the second chamber. Mayor has indicated that the gentleman asking this question may provide his information so that we may contact him about this letter. Sir does not want to give his details.

The mayor advised council members not to attend the residents' evening. The evening is meant for residents and to answer their questions as much as possible, the evening is not to engage in political discussions.
By the way, council members can simply be contacted. Their details are on the City Council website.

Refugees are people who fear for their lives because of war or other reasons and seek asylum in our country. Refugees who request asylum are called asylum seekers. While their application for asylum is being processed, they are accommodated in a COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) reception location, the asylum seekers' center (AZC). Once they receive a residence status in the Netherlands, they are called statusholders. From then on, they are also entitled to housing in the Netherlands.
The influx of asylum seekers is now very high and the flow of status holders from the AZCs into housing is low due to tightness in the housing market. As a result, status holders often have to live longer in an AZC. And that in turn means there is less room for new asylum seekers, while the number of refugees looking for a home here is not decreasing. There are currently about 16,000 status holders living in COA facilities in the Netherlands. In total, COA takes in some 54,000 people in the Netherlands.

As it is, there is not much talk about how well things are going or that nothing special is happening. On the other hand, there is comparatively very much coverage of things going wrong, crime and excesses. Everywhere, but at and near asylum seekers' centers in particular. This creates a distorted picture of how things are and how asylum seekers generally behave.
But asylum seekers are also just people. And a small percentage of them make mistakes, commit offenses or do criminal things. This is no different or more pronounced among asylum seekers than among the average Dutch population. 20. Is a measurement of crime carried out before and after reception? For an evaluation?

The police have always kept figures on crime. Slightly different and less "hard" are the figures on residents' feeling of safety. These are asked in the Safety Monitor, a population survey on safety, quality of life and victimization. This takes place every two years. We can use both police and Safety Monitor data for an evaluation.  

Asylum seekers live independently in an asylum seekers' center. They do their housework, take their children to school, do their shopping, prepare their meals and go to meetings with organizations such as the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, the Repatriation & Departure Service and Refugee Council. They must comply with a weekly reporting requirement but are otherwise just going about their lives. They also prepare for their future with programs or volunteer work at the location. Their lives otherwise do largely take place within the reception facility, as opportunities to work or study are limited for the adults. COA offers activities at the location. And given the many questions and applications, we also expect many residents to want to help or organize activities themselves.

Yes. Asylum seekers are allowed to move freely, so they are allowed to leave the AZC.

Asylum seekers, like any other resident and visitor to our municipality, may move freely through the municipality, shopping and shopping, taking their children to school, walking or biking in the area, and participating in activities organized in Nuenen for residents. Of course, like all other residents, they must behave decently. If this is not the case, they - again like other residents - will be addressed or punished for it (fines, reporting to the police, etc.). Because this is a completely new situation (suddenly many new people in one place), we will keep an eye on things, especially in the initial period. And we assume, given the number of people who have already come forward with ideas, that there will also be enough to do in terms of activities at the AZC so that people will not be bored.

No, this will not be an enrollment center like Budel or Ter Apel.

Asylum seekers are only 10% of all migrants coming to the Netherlands. Other migrants (i.e. 90%) come for work, education, maybe even love, and recently Ukrainians were added. Most of the people living in a COA refugee reception site stay here because they fled war, violence or persecution. They come here for their own safety and apply for asylum in the Netherlands. They are not out to cause unrest or nuisance. Asylum seekers from so-called safe countries, who are not so much fleeing as looking for a (economically) better life, are known to cause nuisance more often. But they are a small percentage out of the total group of asylum seekers residing in the Netherlands. They also follow a different track so that their procedure can be handled quickly by the IND.
You can read more about this on COA's website.

We think the two infills can coexist perfectly well. We expect the asylum seekers to behave like other residents and the children living in the AZC to be able to play in the playground or at the skating rink. In case of undesirable behavior by asylum seekers (such as loitering), we will intervene, just as we do in case of undesirable behavior by other residents.

There will be units in which people can cook for themselves or have a common kitchen. There will also be a recreation room and offices for staff and chain partners (Dutch Refugee Council, teachers and general practitioners). The outdoor space will be equipped for recreation, bicycle storage and parking spaces for staff, among other things.

No. Ukrainian refugees fall under the European Protection Scheme and do not have to apply for asylum to stay in the Netherlands. Therefore, they do not fall under the Health COA either.  

Six locations were investigated in Nuenen. Research was done at all these locations based on safety, among other factors. On this basis, talks were held with COA and the pluses and minuses were discussed. This location emerged as the best location. The land also belongs to the municipality. This is temporary housing for a maximum of 10 years.

This site is not suitable for permanent construction, but it is suitable for temporary housing. That has to do with the zoning plan. We can deviate from it if it is a temporary development, for a maximum of 10 years. So temporary housing of asylum seekers is possible, permanent housing (or e.g., sites for caravans) is not.

When it comes to nuisance asylum seekers, often these are people who come from so-called safe countries, the national government is certainly addressing them. For example, their application can be expedited, they are given sober shelter (no living allowance, but things like meals and care products in kind) and have a daily reporting requirement.
For more information, also visit the Rijksoverheid website.

For COA, the most ideal reception locations are on the outskirts of residential centers, the distance to facilities is (therefore) not too great and the location is large enough to be able to organize all necessary facilities at the AZC itself.

The current asylum/shelter crisis arose in the summer of 2022, that is after a council-wide agenda was established (from which the coalition agreement is a derivative). In other words, it was not a real issue back then. Moreover, this is a crisis, which requires a different approach than things that can be planned. As a municipality, we are able to carry out processes in parallel. COA develops the location, which means that the implementation does not burden the municipality's capacity.

On May 10, people could sign up for the sounding board group. A delegation of different neighborhoods and associations were included in the sounding board group. From the sounding board group we want to collect ideas about measures we can take to preserve livability. Sounding board group members can thus indicate where they see bottlenecks, brainstorm on possible solutions and the measures that are then worked out can be discussed to see if they are workable in practice. The idea is that people in the sounding board group will also pick up ideas from their surroundings and bring them to the sounding board group.
To be clear: the sounding board group is not meant to be a democratic delegation with which the project group "does business" or makes decisions. For that we have a city council and a municipal executive committee. The sounding board group includes as many people as possible with different interests and opinions. So that we can look at problems and solutions from as many angles as possible.

We want to put first and foremost that the safety of our residents - and especially children - does not depend directly on the arrival of an AZC in our municipality. The safety of our residents depends day in and day out on many more factors. In designing the site and its surroundings, we are mindful of the safety of both local residents and the residents of the AZC. We are in discussion with the sounding board group for the reception of refugees to hear concrete concerns and to devise solutions together that will contribute to the safety of all concerned.
When it comes to the safety of asylum seekers (children and teenagers, but also adults) on the day beach: because the Netherlands is a country rich in water, COA encourages and facilitates that the residents of asylum seekers' centers take swimming lessons.

Time is lacking to do a full citizen participation process, but residents' input is always read and taken into account whenever possible. The council commissioned the college to investigate AZC. We find that the feeling of insecurity and unfamiliarity runs deep. We need to do something with this. Your input is welcome at opvanglocatiecoa@nuenen.nl.

Asylum seekers have been received in Budel for many years and for many years that went fine. Since 2 years a small group of asylum seekers has been causing nuisance. These are asylum seekers who hardly have a chance to stay in the Netherlands. This group is centered in Budel so they can reinforce each other. Ministry, COA, police, municipality and others involved are doing their utmost to improve the situation and are and will continue to be in discussion about it. One of the measures taken there is the deployment of a supervision team: Special supervision team starts in Cranendonck municipality to tackle asylum nuisance | News release | Rijksoverheid.nl.
Another major difference with the situation in Nuenen is that 1,500 people will be housed in Budel. The plan in Nuenen provides housing for a maximum of 200 people.
There are many AZCs in the Netherlands where things are going well and where local residents are also positive. So you might as well ask why things would go differently in Nuenen than in those places.

The playgrounds are neither disappearing nor being moved.

The numbers will be included in the management agreement concluded with COA. In any case, the maximum number of people that can fit on the site is 200.

COA will have to apply for a permit for construction. In the subsequent spatial procedure, it will be possible for interested parties to submit views and objections. Exactly how that procedure will proceed depends on the application COA submits to the municipality.
Tip: all permit applications are published on Overheid.nl. It also states how you can submit views or objections. You can subscribe to an e-mail service. You will automatically be notified of new permit applications.

The region met in September. At that meeting, the regional task was converted back to the local task. For Nuenen it was 87. This is too many and has been reduced to 200, in consultation with COA.

The total cost of building and running COA's reception site in Nuenen is not yet known. COA is paying these costs.
Municipalities with an asylum shelter are entitled to different financial compensation for the costs incurred. These are laid down in the management agreement with COA. The money comes from the budgets of the Ministries of Justice and Security and Foreign Affairs.

There is 24-hour security at the site. During the day, COA employees are present in addition to security guards.

Asylum seekers want to get to know the environment. It is also important for them to have a daytime activity. This is taken care of, but of course it is nice if residents take a role in this. For example, by organizing activities where residents and asylum seekers can meet and get to know each other's cultures.

We take the residents of Nuenen seriously. However, we do not have the luxury of "plenty of time" in solving this humanitarian problem. A lengthy process involving all residents was therefore not an option. In addition, we did not want to raise false expectations about the influence of residents on the decision-making about the arrival of the AZC if there is no real basis that we can meet those expectations. We have chosen to focus our attention on how, following the decision taken, we can, in consultation with representatives of the neighborhood, achieve a good livable situation in and around the planned reception location at the Pastoorsmast.

They stay in an AZC until they are offered housing in a municipality somewhere in the Netherlands. One of the reasons the existing asylum seekers' centers are (too) full is that there is little housing available. As a result, status holders do not move on quickly.

That backlog is only going to get worse, it is expected. Not only because of the large number of asylum applications, but also because of more complicated legislation and too little budget. The IND falls under the Rijksoverheid government and is working to increase its capacity by recruiting and training new employees.

Public transportation is provided by Hermes (Bravo). That makes a new timetable every year, taking into account current passenger numbers. If there are a number of new residents who are expected to use public transportation more than usual, that is certainly taken into account.

We have heard of plans to house probably several hundred migrant workers at the Collse Hoeve. Adding another 200 asylum seekers seems undesirable to us. We will have too great a concentration of temporary residents in one place.
Moreover, the municipality is not the owner of the land there. This means that we have less control over the plans and are dependent on a commercial party. That party will be in charge of, for example, the numbers and the duration.

The Alderman emphasized that the Pastor's Mast site will exist for a maximum of 10 years. The Pastor's Mast site is owned by the municipality. As a result, we have control over exactly what happens there. Also, zoning-wise, there really cannot be temporary construction on the plot for more than 10 years. The "maximum 10 years" will also be in the agreement with COA.