The municipality of Zwartewaterland is under active supervision by national government because it has not yet met its statutory obligation to shelter asylum seekers. On Thursday 1 October 2026 the municipal council further discussed the principles the municipality will use in searching for possible shelter locations.
Published 3 October at 14:37
This language edition was prepared with AI from the Dutch source and checked for factual differences. If the versions differ, the Dutch text takes precedence.
National government uses an intervention ladder with six steps to place municipalities that lag behind on their shelter obligations under supervision. Zwartewaterland currently stands on step three. This means an administrative meeting will follow with the ministry, in which the municipality must explain what steps it is taking to meet its statutory task. If progress remains absent, national government can move further up the ladder. At the highest step, national government can take measures itself to arrange the shelter.
Despite the supervision, the municipality is continuing work on implementing the Spreidingswet (Dispersal Act). To that end, it is first drawing up a Nota van Uitgangspunten locatiekeuze opvang (a policy paper on principles for choosing shelter locations). This states that the municipality is working from shelter that matches the statutory obligation, and that it is aiming for small-scale, manageable locations, with attention to safety, liveability and public support.
The municipal council first discussed these principles on Thursday 17 September 2026 and continued that discussion on Thursday 1 October 2026. Later this month the council will take a decision on the policy paper. Only after that will the municipality start its search for possible shelter locations. The municipality expects to present a proposal with possible locations to the council in the first quarter of 2027. Council meetings can be followed online and watched back afterwards at zwartewaterland.raadsinformatie.nl.