Overview
- The mayors of Hardenberg, Epe and Harderwijk urged the national government to confront municipalities that refuse to host asylum seekers to restore a fairer spread and make room for planned closures.
- Hardenberg has imposed daily fines on the national reception agency COA, using a legal tool municipalities deploy to enforce agreements, after its local center stayed open beyond the agreed shutdown.
- Epe says it will issue fines over a hotel used as emergency shelter that has remained open longer than planned.
- Harderwijk expects its asylum center to close on June 1 after rejecting a proposed replacement site and has not decided on fines while insisting on the agreed closure date.
- The three municipalities cite national barriers — strict nitrogen rules, an overloaded power grid and COA funding gaps — that slow new sites, while the migration minister urges more emergency locations under the fair‑distribution law and COA warns people could otherwise be left without shelter.