The Dispersal Act enters into effect on 1 February
The Asylum Reception Facilities in Municipalities (Enablement) Act (Dispersal Act) has been published in the Government Gazette. The act therefore entered into effect on 1 February. The purpose of this act is to realise sufficient reception places and a more balanced division of asylum reception facilities across provinces and municipalities.
Process and division
It was determined prior to 1 February 2024 how many reception places for asylum seekers would be needed for the coming two years. These reception places are divided (indicatively) over the municipalities based on the number of residents and the municipality’s socio-economic score. The provincial reception task can be calculated by adding up the numbers of the municipalities in the province. An overview of the division can be found here: See: https://www.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stcrt-2024-3320.html
Municipalities discuss how they will carry out this task at the provincial management tables (PRTs). Here they decide which municipalities will provide reception and for how many places. Reception facilities that already exist or that become available within 12 months and that have more than 100 places and for more than 5 years count towards the fulfilment of the own provincial task if the municipalities so wish. The King’s Commissioners coordinate these meetings in their role of Central Government body.
The King’s Commissioners will deliver a report to the State Secretary of Justice and Security before 1 November. The Minister ultimately adopts a decision on the division.
In the event the municipalities are unable to carry out the entire provincial task jointly, the State Secretary will be authorised to designate and thus oblige municipalities to start receiving asylum seekers. The cycle will start over again after 2 years with a forecast of the number of reception places.
Financial arrangement
There are various payments in order to encourage municipalities to offer places voluntarily. These payments may be spent freely, which means they may also be used for a purpose other than the reception of asylum seekers. The amount of the payment varies and depends on the type of facility being offered and the total number of places offered. See the table below under documents.
Originally published at https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/01/31/the-dispersal-act-enters-into-effect-on-1-february
