General questions emergency shelter

This emergency shelter for people who are (almost) status holders is a way to make the full normal reception locations (asylum seekers' centres) emptier. Then they have room for new refugees.

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) is responsible for the reception of asylum seekers in the Netherlands during their entire asylum procedure. This means that the COA provides housing from the moment the asylum seeker applies for asylum in the Netherlands until the moment the asylum seeker has to leave the Netherlands or receives a residence permit. The COA accommodates asylum seekers in asylum seekers' centres (AZC) or emergency shelters spread throughout the country.

Asylum seekers stay in an asylum seekers' centre (AZC). They stay there until their asylum application has been decided. If it is rejected, they must return to their own country. If the asylum application is granted, that person is a status holder and is given a place to live.

Emergency shelter is temporary. People stay here temporarily, until they can go to an asylum seekers' centre (asylum seekers) or move on to a home (status holders).

No, the vacant prison is in principle still used as temporary emergency shelter, mainly for status holders or people who are very likely to receive a residence permit.

The agreements on the temporary shelter location are laid down in an administrative agreement between the municipality and the COA. The most important agreements are:

• The emergency shelter was initially limited to one year, and that year starts with the arrival of the first residents. The first residents arrived in February 2022. After the first year, the COA requested an extension. This extension was granted for a period of 2 years, until February 2025. There is room for 630 people in the shelter. At least half of them are status holders (refugees with a residence permit) and the other residents are asylum seekers with a high chance of a residence permit. There will be no unaccompanied minor asylum seekers.
• There is always security present at the reception location. The COA and the municipality take measures in case of nuisance.
• Most residents go to work during the day and children go to school. There is also plenty to do at the reception location. Where possible, the COA involves Zoetermeer parties such as Vluchtelingenwerk and Stichting Piëzo.
• The municipality of Zoetermeer can terminate the management agreement prematurely if the presence of and the nuisance caused by the residents of the shelter location demonstrably leads to a disruption of public order.
• The COA pays all costs incurred by the municipality due to emergency shelter.

In a management agreement it was agreed that 630 residents may live in the emergency shelter. The group of residents will consist of:

• at least half are status holders
• supplemented with asylum seekers who have a good chance of obtaining a residence permit

There are no unaccompanied minor asylum seekers living there.

All costs for the emergency shelter are paid by the COA. This also applies to the adjustments to make the prison suitable as an emergency shelter location. The municipality has no costs for this, and the emergency shelter has no consequences for the municipal budget or taxes.

No, in addition to emergency shelter, refugees do not receive a ZoetermeerPas or a public transport chip card from the municipality.

The COA considers prison a good reception location because of the space, privacy in the rooms and facilities (sports/games). An important difference between emergency shelter and prison is that the residents of emergency shelter are free and prisoners are not.

The municipality is in talks with the owner of the prison (the Central Government Real Estate Agency) about the future of the prison after the emergency shelter closes again.

No, there will be no additional facilities or adjustments in the public space in the vicinity of the prison.

The municipality does everything it can to create a connection between refugees and residents. For example, by organizing activities where everyone is welcome to get to know each other.

The project developer Ten Brinke will keep them informed of developments as soon as the municipality also sends new letters to the surrounding area.

You can no longer object to the presence of emergency shelter at this time.

You can share your concerns and questions with the municipality. You can send an email to the municipality at noodopvang@zoetermeer.nl .