Minister Faber of Asylum and Migration must continue the current shelter program for one hundred failed asylum seekers in Utrecht beyond January 1, 2025, as ruled by the Midden-Nederland court. Previously, a Rotterdam court issued a similar ruling for 22 individuals in a similar situation.
In September, Faber announced that the national government would stop funding municipalities for the National Alien Facilities (LVV), known as the “bed-bath-bread” scheme. One hundred asylum seekers in Utrecht challenged this decision.
The court determined that the asylum seekers’ need to avoid homelessness in the new year outweighs the Ministry’s financial concerns. Although Faber argues that providing shelter should not be a government responsibility and proposes relocating the individuals to a restricted freedom location (VBL) in Ter Apel, the court finds uncertainty in whether this is feasible.
Questions remain about the eligibility of these asylum seekers for the VBL and whether there are enough beds available. The court also questions whether Faber’s motives are purely financial, noting that VBL also incurs costs, which have not been proven to be lower than those of the LVV.
Tomorrow, a similar case will be heard in Amsterdam, and in Eindhoven, the municipality has agreed to temporarily fund the shelter for 27 asylum seekers.
Source: NOS