Asylum seekers have been warmly welcomed in Leersum for 35 years: ‘Support comes with being honest’

From the beginning, in 1989, the residents of the asylum center in Leersum were warmly welcomed by the community, says Frits Naafs, mayor of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, which includes Leersum. “It is in the DNA of politics here, but also in the DNA of our residents. People here are simply willing to go the extra mile for others.”