People with refugee status to be housed in hotels as much as possible

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) will house people who have been granted refugee status in hotels close to the asylum center where they are housed before receiving residency.

They are planning to do this without the permission of the municipalities involved. The COA announced on Thursday that they are starting a nationwide action to relieve the pressure from asylum centers.

The COA reported that the people granted refugee status, who have a residence permit and therefore have a right to a home, will be placed in hotels in small numbers. This is already happening in some municipalities.

The COA said they are working "under assignment from the government and after approval from the King's commissioners.” There is one King’s commissioner appointed per province.

A formal permit from the relevant municipality is not necessary when placing refugees with a residence permit in a hotel, because they are already in the Netherlands legally. The rules are different for asylum seekers who have not yet been granted residency.

The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) has said that they are aware of the plans for people granted refugee status. The organization noted that informing the municipalities beforehand is a more proper approach. The COA has said that they will do so.

Around 10,000 places at the asylum centers are currently occupied by people with refugee status whom the municipalities should have already arranged a home for. However, partly due to the housing shortage, the municipalities have not been able to achieve this goal.

On Thursday, the Zuid-Holland municipality Krimpenerwaard reported that the COA would "unexpectedly" give 20 refugees accommodation at a hotel in Lekkerkerk. "The municipality has no influence on the COA's decision," said Mayor Hans Beenakker.

Castricum reported last week that they were surprised by the placing of people with refugee status in a hotel in the Noord-Holland municipality.

Whether all 10,000 people will be transported to hotels and on what terms that will happen has not been announced. The COA reported that the shelter places freed will be taken up by asylum seekers who are now in asylum centers set to close.

Outgoing Asylum State Secretary Eric van der Brug made an urgent plea to municipalities to make hotels available earlier this month. Hotels are already being used to help asylum centers with urgent needs. They are used as emergency shelters, and some already have refugees.