Most can still remember the images from last September, when asylum seekers in Ter Apel had to sleep outside in the cold because there was no room left in the reception center. To prevent this situation, State Secretary Eric van der Burg (VVD) has created the distribution law. This law can force municipalities to house asylum seekers. The Senate and House of Representatives have yet to vote on the law. If both chambers agree to the law, it will most likely take effect from January 2024. The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) does not like the law and the Council of State, which is the government’s independent adviser on legislation and administration, also questions its feasibility.
Woerden braces itself for dispersal law, possibly AZC in municipality: ‘If we do nothing now, the problem will only get bigger’
