Enough is enough for burgemeester and gouverneur concerning refugee accommodations

There should be a national commission for administrations in the Netherlands give feedback to the national government regarding refugee accommodations. That is the wish of Burgemeester Annemarie Penn-te Strake, Gouverneur Emile Roemer and 17 more burgemeesters (mayors) in Zuid-Limburg.

They have called for this in a letter to the Kabinet. In doing so, that committee should mainly look at whether there is any room at all in any particular region to offer refugees accommodations in terms of housing, education and care.

Too much pressure

De maat is vol (enough is enough) for the administrators. They feel that the region is running out of capacity to accommodate refugees. There is too much pressure on housing and supporting facilities such as care and education. Support in the local community is also dwindling by the day, they write. Besides setting up a committee, the mayors and governor want the government to take action at the European level to ensure that the influx of refugees is reduced in the short term.

Reception places

Besides the regular asielzoekerscentrum – AZC (asylum seekers centre), asylum seekers are accommodated in an annex of the Gouvernement buidlings on Limburglaan, the old Don Bosco school in Mariabeg and the Novotel Hotel in Scharn. The former prison Overmaze in Limmel is currently housing Ukrainian refugees.