The municipalities of Maasdriel, West Maas en Waal, and Zaltbommel jointly manage the reception of refugees

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They had already agreed to this in early 2024 through a cooperation agreement. Now that all municipalities are required to submit their
emergency shelter plans to the province, these plans are becoming more concrete. In a letter
to the acting King’s Commissioner of Gelderland, the three municipalities outline how
they intend to work together on this.

  • The municipality of Maasdriel is working to secure a facility for approximately 40 unaccompanied minor foreign national
    .
  • The Municipality of West Maas en Waal is looking for a location for 150 to 180 refugees.
  • The Municipality of Zaltbommel is in talks with the COA regarding a site to be converted into emergency shelter for 168 refugees for a period of five years.

Mayor Bakermans of Zaltbommel, speaking on behalf of the three municipalities: “Together, we are fulfilling our
social responsibility by providing shelter. Asylum centers across
the Netherlands have been overcrowded for some time, and there is a severe shortage of shelter spaces. The humanitarian
need is urgent. Like many other municipalities in the Netherlands, we are offering a home to people who are
fleeing war and violence.”

Next step: looking for locations

Municipalities must now begin the process of identifying suitable locations so they can actually
meet this requirement. As of July 1, 2025, these locations must be available to the COA in order to
be counted toward the Distribution Act. It is therefore not yet known when the reception centers
will actually open or at which locations. The municipalities are currently searching for suitable locations for
asylum reception and unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (AMV). Naturally, this is being done in consultation with the COA. As soon as more is known about the
locations, the local community will be informed.