Mayors Budel and Ter Apel: ‘Dring the nuisance of asylum seekers back to us and there is a different picture in the country’

In ‘The Burgemeesterslasje’, the course for new mayors, there were two mayors in 2018 who had no idea that they would often need each other in the coming years. Jaap Velema (D66) became mayor of Westerwolde, at the German border in Groningen, and Roland van Kessel (VVD) of Cranendonck, at the Belgian border in Noord-Brabant. Often they are called the mayors of Ter Apel and Budel against their liking. The villages in their municipalities where, as the only one in the Netherlands, asylum seekers are registered. In Budel there seems to be an end to this, now that Defense wants to reopen the barracks that is used as azc.

In recent years, Van Kessel and Velema have had to deal with serious safety problems in and around the asylum seekers’ centers in their municipalities. The registration center in Ter Apel was so full in the summer of 2022 that asylum seekers slept on the grass in front of the gate. In Ter Apel and Budel, a small group of nuisance asylum seekers stacked the problems: stabbing on the site, burglaries in houses and thefts in stores. Both mayors established an emergency ordinance.

In the past year, national politicians spoke a lot about Ter Apel and Budel, but little with the mayors. Together they have a lot of contact. « When we are on the road, we often call each other to discuss what the latest developments are. It is a pleasant collaboration, but we also share the same frustrations, » says Jaap Velema. « We had both just started as mayor, » says Roland van Kessel. « Then it is nice to consult with each other. Certainly if there are major problems. »

What is the situation in Ter Apel and Budel?

Velema: « It is quieter. Less inflow of asylum seekers with us, less pressure on Budel as a result. But the uncertainty about the Spreading Act is maddening. It is important for us that asylum seekers are distributed across the country. This requires the Spreading Act. »

Van Kessel: « It was radiated from the government that the Spreading Act is not necessary. But the law still applies. »

Velema: « It is understandable that citizens now think: the cabinet has said that it is not necessary. But therefore, local administrators who want to implement the law will be faced with their residents. An unnecessary field of tension. »

Van Kessel: « What you see, and I have often said this is that if an asylum seekers’ center is opened somewhere in the country, the link is immediately made with the nuisance in Ter Apel and in Budel. If only it becomes Ter Apel 2.0 or Budel 2.0, you will hear. If you can reduce the nuisance with us, another image will arise in the country. »

Who did you say that to?

Van Kessel: « Against all ministers. »

Velema: « We are heading for our fifth minister. »

Van Kessel: « I also discussed this with Marjolein Faber. »

Does that message come across?

Van Kessel: « He will come across, but what do you do then? We are not in this country to tackle the small group that is ruined for everyone. »

Velema: « I am always about between five to ten percent of people in the shelter. They mainly come from Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. These guys do not come for asylum, but for stay. In the meantime, they have behavioral or addiction problems. That means they need money. That is why they are going to steal in shops and black in the private transport. »

Van Kessel: « With us it is identical. If that group is too large, they will make the service. At the train station in Maarheeze there are permanent six security guards. »

« As long as it is not Ter Apel 2.0 or Budel 2.0, you will hear »

According to the mayors, this group of ‘underprivileged asylum seekers’, as Velema and Van Kessel call them, must accelerate flow from the registration centers. On their initiative, a test started in Ter Apel with a process availability location (PBL), in which this group had to be available in a separate building under stricter supervision to go through their process. The test stopped last year by order of the court, after an asylum seeker had objected to the limited freedom at the location. Last week the trial in Ter Apel resumed, under the COA legally sustainable conditions. In the meantime, this group of asylum seekers was under stricter supervision.

Velema: « The process availability location is important to us. Minister Faber visited me in her first week. Even then I insisted on a restart. She never looked at that seriously. I regularly addressed her about that. But it has been more or less quiet for half a year. Due to pressure from the Lower House. »

Van Kessel: « I am a bit more positive about the minister’s involvement at our location. I think I have had more contact with her then Jaap. The minister visited us a number of times. If you then talk about the solutions, I and the minister sometimes differ. »

The PVV made asylum as an election theme large, became the largest party, also in your municipalities. Then you would also think that a PVV minister could help you. How does that relate to the ministers with whom you have previously worked?

Velema: « For me that was a world of difference. »

Van Kessel: « Eric van der Burg could call you every day, regardless of the time. He was there for us and stood next to us. »

And Minister Faber?

Velema: “Not in my view. She had one goal: limiting the inflow. I think the idea was that if the inflow was brought to zero, the problems would resolve automatically. But that is a one -sided approach. As minister of the 80,000 people who were already staying in the asylum procedure, she was also responsible for the daycare. Made it difficult.

Van Kessel: « Every time you got the same answer. Everything revolved around the intake. »

« Sometimes you have a tough conversation with the minister, but then you are behind your pastry at a 60-year marriage »

Velema: « She said that she » is not the minister of the people in Vertgistan. « That is a special conception of task and I found that complicated. 70 to 80 percent of the people in the asylum reception still come from a country where there is war. Eric van der Burg felt the state secretary of these people. I did that the next meter on this cabinet was made on this cabinet on sponge. packs.

What do you think of the requirements about asylum on which PVV leader Geert Wilders dropped the cabinet?

Velema: I miss the meaning of the measures. Take the deletion of the priority for status holders in social rental housing. I understand residents who wait a long time for a rental home. But what is the alternative? What is the long -term policy? I miss cooperation and dialogue. It is easy to call something. The population then thinks it is arranged and implementing organizations and local authorities get into trouble. « 

What would you benefit from?

Van Kessel: « It is a task of the government to inform citizens in the right way. Do not just call all kinds of things. That is something of this time. I miss the nuance in the Netherlands. The fact that this theme has become the most important theme of the elections also has to do with that. »

Velema: « In politics it is about making clear views. But the translation must be done by the cabinet. That is an administrative element. That was different now. From parliament, the election struggle was continued. It was an experiment and I hope we will not repeat that again. »

« I have the careful estimate that we have now fallen the cabinet energetically. Due to the battle and arguments in the cabinet, the attention had turned in. A part of the cabinet is now continuing and new ministers are coming. I want to work with the minister with the double task we have: tackling nuisance or crisis in the appetizers. wants to make ahead. « 

For you it is exciting who is going to be?

Van Kessel: « Of course. Of course. Someone who is open to our problems and ideas and will be standing next to us when we need something. It often lacked that. »

You both started your second term as mayor. Have you doubted after these turbulent years to continue?

Van Kessel: « I have not doubted. Of course they have been turbulent years, but you should not run away if it becomes difficult. You have to keep taking responsibility. We will continue to commit ourselves to what is needed. »

Velema: « Last year I could not work for a while due to health problems. That was in the period that I had to decide as a mayor. I missed the work. You sometimes have a tough conversation with the minister or is in court opposite the COA, but then you are very nicely behind your pastry in a 60-year marriage. »

To share

Mail the editors