RTV Utrecht: New asylum seekers’ center opens in Zeist

After a six-month delay, the new asylum seeker center in Kamp van Zeist will open this afternoon. The 200 asylum seekers from the adjacent emergency shelter will then move to a new building on the grounds, which offers more privacy. In addition, there is room for another 200 new asylum seekers who will be transferred from locations including the Ter Apel registration center in Groningen.

Ulrike Nagel attended the official opening and provided commentary in the studio on the program UNieuws.

00:00 RTV Utrecht, Rob van Dijk
00:38 Ulrike Nagel
01:29 Segment on the Zeist Asylum Seekers’ Center (AZC)
02:33 Rob van Dijk
02:44 Ulrike Nagel
03:18 Koos Janssen
04:15 Ulrike Nagel

The mayor of Zeist, Koos Janssen, is one of the first to take a tour. Despite all the logistics and the effort it takes the municipality, he consistently sees the glass as half full. “We’ve been looking forward to this, because we only had the emergency shelter right next door. It’s great that it’s being replaced by an asylum seeker center. It’s still spartan, but it offers more comfort than the emergency shelter.”

In the white pavilions on the former military base, the dormitories were separated only by curtains; in the new complex, there are actual walls and doors. Koos Janssen: “People will have more privacy, and families will be able to live together.” They’ve created a welcoming atmosphere in the building, with colors that resonate with the countries the residents come from. A lot of thought has gone into it. Better flooring, kitchen units in each section. When people feel at peace, it brings out the best in life, brings peace to the neighborhood, and brings peace of mind to the staff.”

An asylum seeker center for 5 years

Asylum seekers can live in the new complex for five years. It’s a large site, still gray and drab for now, but hopefully soon there will be some space for greenery. “We need that living space, too,” says the mayor as he walks through the puddles, since the paths have only just been laid out and aren’t quite finished yet. “The elementary school is over there; the first children started classes last Thursday. And there will be a daycare center, a bike parking area, and an outdoor playground, so that space is needed too.”

At the school, he immediately walks over to the window and chats with the teachers. They’ve already gotten off to an enthusiastic start—something Koos Janssen recognizes as well. “What do I tell mayors who’ve lost hope? That you won’t make any progress that way. The problem won’t be solved if you keep putting up barriers. You just have to do it—set a good example.”

A born optimist as mayor

Despite all the obstacles, Koos Janssen remains quite optimistic. Helping people in need—you just have to do it, he believes. “We’re not talking about the whole world, but we are talking about our own humanity, and there’s strong support for that in politics and society.”

If local residents do start to grumble, he engages them in conversation and finds that a lot is possible, he notes. He also always has an open ear—for the problems of people looking for housing, for example. “Taking in asylum seekers doesn’t mean we’re not doing anything for our own residents. For example, we’ve formulated a policy to help people looking for housing in our own region—it’s called ‘accelerated housing allocation.’ We’re converting office buildings into housing; we’re working on flexible housing, temporary housing, transitional housing—you name it. One thing doesn’t have to come at the expense of another.”

‘No Limit to Capacity’

In addition to the 400 asylum seekers who will be living here, the municipality is also accommodating 300 people from Afghanistan in Huis ter Heide, plus 300 Ukrainians. This year, the Netherlands expects to receive another 70,000 refugees. But Koos Janssen is confident about this as well: “When you stand shoulder to shoulder, you can move mountains, and then there’s no limit to our capacity.”

TV Reporter

Ulrike Nagel