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Open Days at Dutch Asylum Centers Draw Crowds as Amersfoort Pauses Plans and Police Bolster Security

Authorities move to rebuild trust through earlier, transparent engagement after the Amersfoort backlash.

Overview

  • Amersfoort has suspended proposed azc sites in Vathorst and Schothorst following public anger over late communication and logged 183 Woo information requests that it plans to publish on its website.
  • Many COA open days on Burendag proceeded calmly in places including Hoogeveen, Grave, Gouda, Groningen, Vianen and Winterswijk, with residents meeting asylum seekers and expressing interest in volunteering.
  • COA kept several locations closed on safety advice, including Hoofddorp and Amsterdam, and some sites applied tighter checks such as ID controls for visitors.
  • In Den Bosch, the azc reported a record 600 visitors during the day; that night police and riot officers deployed after signals of a planned storming linked to Defend Netherlands, and roughly 40 activists dispersed without arrests.
  • Practitioners and researchers highlight early, honest communication and tangible safeguards as key, citing examples such as Nijmegen, Oss and long‑running centers like Winterswijk where sustained neighborhood contact has reduced friction.