Gorinchem designated for forced reception of asylum seekers

Gorinchem is one of the five municipalities that are obliged to receive asylum seekers. The outgoing State Secretary Broekers-Knol informed the mayor about this. According to Broekers-Knol, an acute emergency threatens due to a shortage of shelter places.

Mayor Reinie Melissant van Gorinchem received a call from the State Secretary last night. “She called to tell me that we are getting an indication for acute emergency shelter for asylum seekers. That fell on my roof,” says Melissant.

According to the mayor, her municipality has always been positive about the reception of asylum seekers. “We immediately said that we want to receive asylum seekers on a small-scale, structural basis. Asylum seekers have also been received for emergency reception. And very recently we made a proposal to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) to receive asylum seekers on a river cruise ship. Then you think, with so much cooperation from a municipality, you can still get an indication, so that falls raw on your roof.”