Zuhal Demir and Theo Francken: “Sticking asylum seekers in hotels without local authorities knowing is unacceptable”

Flemish Minister for Tourism Zuhal Demir is appalled by the way federal Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V party) is allowing asylum seekers to be transferred and accommodated in tourist infrastructure without informing the local authorities concerned. MP Theo Francken also “fell off his chair”, in his own words, when he was informed by the mayor of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, where asylum seekers were simply placed in an Ibis hotel. Demir considers it “unacceptable” and demands an apology from de Moor to the local authorities. She is calling on the Secretary of State to involve them better in such far-reaching actions that have consequences for an entire local community. She also reiterates that she is not in favour of using the tourism sector (holiday parks, campsites, hotels, etc.) to find temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

Four buses full of asylum seekers arrived at the Ibis hotel in Ruisbroek (Sint-Pieters-Leeuw) today, to be housed there from now on, but the local authorities were not informed of this in any way. Demir considers this unprecedented and unacceptable. “Mayors are responsible for the general safety and public health of their territories. Using tourist infrastructure for crisis shelter without their knowledge is simply bad governance.”

Complete chaos

“I have never experienced this in my political career,” says Theo Francken. “The mayor, the local police, the governor: no one was aware of it. Surely that shouldn’t happen, should it? I understand that it is not an easy decision that is likely to meet with a lot of local protests, but the least you can do is to discuss it and prepare it properly. Now they are creating complete chaos, typical of the Vivaldi government.”

Hotels are a solution of convenience

Demir already stated a few years ago that she is not in favour of using the tourism sector (holiday parks, campsites, hotels, etc.) to find temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. She called it a solution of convenience. “A solution of convenience that moreover risks damaging local support for the local tourism sector, with long-term consequences,” she also reiterates today. The minister stressed that the choice of whether or not to respond to Fedasil’s request to accommodate asylum seekers temporarily lies with the accommodation providers themselves. There is therefore no obligation whatsoever to respond to this question.

Local authorities are no longer willing or able to do any more

Theo Francken is also critical of the Groen party’s request through their co-chair Jeremie Vaneeckhout to place more responsibility on local authorities. “The local authorities were called upon en masse to start LOIs (‘Lokale Opvanginitiatieven’, local reception initiatives). Only 20 municipalities responded positively, including only two with a Groen party administration. That has nothing to do with money. Local authorities have already been fully preoccupied with the coronavirus crisis and the reception of Ukrainian refugees in recent years. Why doesn't Vaneeckhout just write to all his local Groen party administrations?”

Apologies required

“Secretary of State de Moor is always talking about support, consultation and cooperation, but at the same time, she demeans all that. I am calling on her to practice what she preaches, and also to apologise to the authorities of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw,” Demir concludes.