The ministry of justice and security informed the municipality of De Fryske Marren earlier this week that the asylum seekers’ centre in Balk, which was due to permanently shut its doors on October 1 2026, will remain open for another three years, upsetting local officials.
“For the municipal executive, the following applies: a deal is a deal,” says the municipality’s website. “The fact that the agreements cannot be fulfilled now causes disappointment and frustration.”
And, reports Omrop Fryslân, will lead to legal action.
The asylum centre opened in 2016 for what was supposed to be five years. That period was extended several times, most recently in 2024, when a deal was also made to reduce the number of refugees living in the centre from 500 to 225.
While the number of asylum seekers has been reduced, refugee settlement agency COA said the lack of alternative shelters means it can’t meet the October closure deadline.
Closure not an option
“We have been looking for other solutions for as long as possible”, said COA’s Joeri Kapteijns. “However, we have the legal and social responsibility to welcome and guide people safely and with dignity. As a result, closure without an alternative is not an option.”
Closing the Balk shelter, said COA, would “mean that 300 people, families and children, will be on the streets.”
The municipality says it doesn’t want to see people on the streets, but it’s unacceptable that the deal has been broken.
“Although De Fryske Marren wants to prevent residents from being left without suitable shelter from a human point of view, it does not accept this situation,” said the municipality. “The responsibility for the residents and replacement shelter lies primarily with COA.”
But COA says the nationwide shortage of asylum spots means it takes time. “Although fewer people are registering for asylum in the Netherlands than before, the number of residents at our locations is increasing.” Some 80,000 people currently live in asylum centres.
COA attributes the problem to long asylum procedures and too few homes for people with a residence permit, meaning more people have to stay longer in shelters. “There are fewer new locations opening than there are closing,” it said.
The 300 asylum seekers in Balk, however, fulfil De Fryske Marren’s shelter obligations under the country’s distribution laws.
