Court allows cruise ship lodging for 1,000 asylum seekers in Velsen-Noord

The entrepreneurs who wanted to fight the planned use of a cruise ship in Velsen-Noord for the reception of asylum seekers lost their first court case on the issue during an initial proceeding. The preliminary relief court judge in Haarlem ruled that the interests of the emergency shelter outweigh those of the entrepreneurs.

This means that the first group of asylum seekers can enter the cruise ship shelter starting on Monday. Part of the argument against the shelter was that the location where the massive Estonian ship will be berthed is not safe to allow asylum seekers or refugees granted residency status to live there even on a temporary basis. They also fear their own nearby businesses will be at risk due to an unworkable situation.

The entrepreneurs further argued that businesses located in the vicinity of the ship cause odor and noise nuisance and that it the ship is possibly located too close to a company where dangerous activities would take place. The court is of the opinion that this last argument is insufficiently substantiated.

The entrepreneurs also believe that the municipality should more strictly deal with the situation because an environmental permit has not yeet been issued to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). This is necessary because the reception at this location is contrary to the zoning plan. However, the municipality has decided to tolerate the reception. Although, according to the judge, this state of affairs "does not deserve a beauty prize,” it does not detract from the judgment.

The judge also ruled that the municipality of Velsen has taken sufficient measures to be able to receive the asylum seekers safely. This was confirmed during a review last weekend by the fire brigade, police, the GGD health services, Gasunie and the agency responsible for environmental safety. For example, walking routes were created, security personnel was deployed, and lighting and camera surveillance have been installed. Fences have also been erected to prevent the temporary residents of the ship from accessing the surrounding industrial estates.

In the coming six months, the ship will accommodate about a thousand asylum seekers and refugees with residency status. The first 100 people are expected at the end of Monday afternoon. "The ruling provides clarity and means that we can continue," said a spokesperson for the COA.