Municipalities: We are doing our best to receive asylum seekers

According to the Inspectorate, sanitary facilities in crisis shelters are sometimes not cleaned, children may not be vaccinated against measles, among other things, and medical assistance is only available in emergency situations. There are also people with psychological problems who do not belong to such a shelter.

daily affairs

But the municipalities say in response that they are “doing everything they can” to ensure that everyday matters are in order, such as enough food for the residents of the shelter.

“It’s a crisis shelter,” says a spokesperson. According to him, this means that the municipalities are trying to put the basics in order, but “the question then is how much energy do you still have to improve the mitigation of the crisis”.

Not intended for extended care

Crisis emergency reception sites are not suitable for staying more than a week, but asylum seekers sometimes live there for months. “It is important that we end this crisis,” says a VNG spokesperson. It refers, among other things, to the Distribution Act, which should lead to an even distribution of asylum seekers across the municipalities.

The GGDs, which are jointly responsible for the care of asylum seekers in emergency shelters and also advise on possible infectious disease outbreaks, say they endorse the seriousness of the inspection body’s findings. Behind the scenes, according to a spokesperson for the umbrella organization GGD GHOR Nederland, hard work is being done to improve the situation.

He points out, among other things, that all people are now registered when they arrive at an emergency reception site in crisis situations, so that children receive youth health care, for example.