Higher bonus for municipalities that quickly provide places for asylum seekers

Municipalities that immediately create additional reception places for asylum seekers receive a higher payment than those that do so later. In the first national round, when municipalities voluntarily propose additional reception places, they receive 2,500 euros per place. If there are still not enough reception places after that, municipalities can still receive a bonus in the second round, but it will be 1,500 euros per place. This is according to the drafting of the distribution law. This elaboration was sent to the Tweede Kamer on Friday.

"This distinction is made to provide a financial incentive to municipalities to offer as many sustainable reception places as possible in the national launch phase," the General Administrative Order (AMvB) states. Sustainable reception places must be available for at least five years and accommodate at least 100 asylum seekers. These may be multiple small reception centers.

Every two years, forecasts of the asylum influx are used to determine how many reception places are needed in the Netherlands. This results in an indication of the reception task per province and an indicative distribution per municipality. On this basis, municipalities can "determine how many reception places they want to offer voluntarily in the national intake phase," according to the AMvB.

The remaining reception places after this first national round will again be distributed on an indicative basis. Municipalities can still volunteer at this stage. In addition, municipalities can agree among themselves on a distribution of the remaining provincial reception places "that corresponds to local circumstances."

If this also results in insufficient intake, the Minister of Justice and Security (but in practice the Secretary of State responsible for asylum) officially determines per municipality how many asylum seekers should be accepted. The goal is to "achieve as even a distribution as possible across the Dutch territory," but also to take into account the duration and extent of asylum accommodation previously offered. "Also, because circumstances may vary from province to province and from municipality to municipality, the weighting for decision-making will vary from one situation to another."

Before the Cabinet actually intervenes, a municipality first receives a warning and then a pre-announcement. If a municipality ignores this, the minister will arrange for the necessary reception places to be created. The municipality, however, can appeal against this decision.