EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Dutch shelter and repatriation policy in practice

Dutch shelter and repatriation policy in practice

Introduction

In recent years, local authorities have been continually faced with what they see as the often negative effects of the shelter and remigration policies. These negative effects have been discussed many times at the Ministry of Justice, the partners involved within the repatriation circuit and the Minister for Immigration and Integration. Local authorities have forcibly argued for a coherent shelter and remigration policy.

Proposition

What are the problems and complaints with regard to the repatriation policy and (rejected) asylum seekers ending up on the streets?

Description

To explicitly draw attention to this situation, the National Council of City Administrations on Shelter (LOGO) has compiled an extensive report on the shelter and remigration policy in practice. This report takes stock of and formulates the problems and complaints with regard to the repatriation policy and (rejected) asylum seekers ending up on the streets.

Conclusions

The main problem for local authorities are asylum seekers who end up on the streets. Compared with the 1990s, the number of people ending up on the streets has not been reduced by the Repatriation Project.
The 'intensive facilitation' with repatriation has not received the interpretation that was promised and is necessary for a coherent policy.
Of the group of asylum seekers who are eligible for the departure centres, 91% do not show up. The consequence is that this 91% ‘disappears’ onto the streets. Of the people that do arrive at the departure centres, a considerable proportion makes a U-turn back to the cities.
Of all asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies, 61% become illegal aliens.
Even people of whom the court has determined that they will co-operate with their repatriation end up on the streets, despite the Minister’s promises.
As a consequence of the implemented policy, people still end up on the streets, disquiet in society has increased rather than fallen and local authorities are left with the burden.
The Minister confirmed that in the absence of contraindications the separation of families due to the repatriation policy would be avoided. This appears to happen anyway.
For ex-single, underage asylum seekers, a project has been developed in order to achieve the termination of their subsistence allowance, without any discussion of arrangements to prevent this group and those formerly falling under this group from ending up on the streets.

Contact info

National Council of City Administrations on Shelter (LOGO)
info@logogemeenten.nl

Publication date

01/11/2005

Researcher

National Council of City Administrations on Shelter (LOGO)

Links

National Council of City Administrations on Shelter (LOGO) (in Dutch)

The Bill: shelter and repatriation policy in practice (PDF, Dutch, 322KB)

Accompanying letter from the Association of Dutch Municipalities to the Dutch Council of Ministers (PDF, Dutch, 63KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Keywords

Asylum seekers