Overview
- The municipality reports the court-ordered daily penalty tied to overcrowding at Ter Apel hit its €5 million maximum on Friday.
- A ruling from about 18 months ago set a €50,000 fine for each day the reception centre exceeds the 2,000-person limit set in agreements with COA.
- Including an earlier €1.5 million payment, total transfers from COA to Westerwolde now stand at €6.5 million.
- A majority of council members say they want to return to court to force compliance, while Mayor Jaap Velema says the municipal executive has not reached a decision.
- Some councillors urge caution or alternatives—PVV’s Robert Rep questions more lawsuits and calls for closure, and others propose waiting on measures from new asylum minister Bart van den Brink—while no decision has been made on how to use the funds.