Little support for dispersal law in municipality of Westland
The ‘spreidingswet’ (dispersal law) has been passed by Dutch Senate and will take effect on 1 February. In the municipality of Westland, however, a majority in the council is unwilling to create 700 extra reception places.
The dispersal law applies an allocation formula as a means to achieve a more balanced distribution of asylum seekers across the country. It is based on the number of inhabitants and the degree of prosperity in a municipality.
However, the chairmen of political parties Westland Verstandig, Gemeentebelang Westland, LPF and Forum voor Democratie say this is absolutely out of the question. They simply have no space for extra reception places and what’s more, they expect that the implementation would be technically impossible.
The only way for Westland to avoid the obligation is to come to a different distribution in consultation with other municipalities in the same province. 'If there is sufficient reception capacity in other areas, the province and therefore the state will not make an issue of it,' says Professor of Local Government, Geerten Bogaard. 'But if that’s not the case, then action will be taken.'
Despite the lack of support in the council, a spokesperson for the municipality said to the media ‘that Westland will comply with the dispersal law and operate within the framework of the law.’
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Photo: Kevin Bückert through Unsplash