What's Up in Brabant: Asylum shelter in Bernheze

The local politics of our two provinces is often forgotten because of all the chaos in The Hague, but that certainly does not make it any less interesting or important! Any newsletter we highlight the politics of both provinces. This newsletter we have an article on the asylum reception in Bernheze, Brabant written by Quintin van Zuijlen, and an article on how Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is often forgotten, by our chairman, Bart Leloux.

This is Quintin's article, Bart's article is also on our site, check that out here!

Bernheze, be brave and provide humane asylum reception!

by Quintin van Zuijlen

Last 4 July, Bernheze agreed to realise a temporary (emergency) reception site for up to 250 asylum seekers for up to two years at the former MOB Complex in Nistelrode, against the municipal border with Schaijk and in the middle of the forests of Nature Reserve de Maashorst. This makes the chosen location far from ideal in many respects. Also on behalf of DWARS Brabant-Zeeland, I would like to encourage Bernheze to leave this temporary situation temporary as well and to realise one or more permanent reception location(s) in or near one or more village core(s) in Bernheze and to quickly start working on determining the conditions that these locations must meet.

In Maashorst we were also confronted with a reception location planned by COA without the municipality's involvement, and Maashorst also agreed to this temporary reception. Despite or perhaps precisely because of the resistance that followed, the realisation dawned that as a municipality we had to take the lead in finding humane reception locations. This led to the Memorandum of Principles on Migration Issues, also adopted on 4 July. An important part of this is that asylum seekers are housed in or on the outskirts of village centres so that they can, as far as possible, be part of the community of which they will eventually have to become a part.

For the next two years, asylum seekers on the outskirts of Uden will be accommodated less than ten minutes' walk from a supermarket. Their peers in Nistelrode, meanwhile, will be about an hour's walk away from a supermarket, whether they head towards Nistelrode, Heesch or even Schaijk. And of course this applies not only to a supermarket but actually to all amenities. Viewed in this way, asylum seekers are just tucked away as a problem and not embraced as the fellow human beings they are.

The nature of the Maashorst that Bernheze cherishes so much also does not benefit from the temporary shelter in the middle of the woods. Nature here was recovering after the departure of Defence, but this will have to start from scratch again due to the reception of refugees. This is another reason why it is important that the reception at this location remains truly temporary, while a suitable longer-term location is sought.

Of course, opposition to a reception site can be counted on if it ends up in or near one of the village centres. Bernheze has already seen it in 2016 when an AZC with 500 reception places met with strong opposition and failed to make it through the municipal council. An amendment and a motion to agree to a smaller AZC also failed. What did pass was a motion to house one-and-a-half to two times as many status holders instead of asylum seekers. Of course, nothing came of the latter either.

Resistance should only lead not to surrender but to rapprochement. As Maashorst is already doing, Bernheze will have to start having discussions with its residents about what conditions should be set for reception locations. Based on this, it can choose one or more suitable location(s). The fact that Bernheze is cooperating nicely with the distribution act is a good sign. Next month, the first distribution plan decided by Bernheze with the other Brabant municipalities will become known, but this too will only last for two years.

So Bernheze, seize the opportunity now, take the lead, draw up a starting point memorandum and ensure that in two years time there will be humane reception for asylum seekers in or on the outskirts of one or more village centres. Be courageous and ensure humane asylum reception!