The municipality of Coevorden is abandoning the plan to house fourteen minor girls. Mayor Renze Bergsma announced this on Friday at a press conference. Residents have been demonstrating against the arrival of the girls in recent days. This led to riots and arson.
“We have decided not to proceed with the plans to house fourteen minor, unaccompanied girls in Tuindorp,” said Bergsma. He said he made that decision with “mixed feelings.”
According to the mayor, the municipality has concluded that it “cannot guarantee the safety of these girls at this time.” He says that there have been intensive discussions with residents and involved parties, “but that it has not been possible to organize sufficient support in the neighborhood.”
The young status holders were originally to live in five terraced houses in the Tuindorp neighborhood in Coevorden. According to the municipality, the girls were between fifteen and eighteen years old. The plans led to great commotion among a section of the residents.
Earlier this week, riots broke out. Cars and trailers were set on fire. Residents also smashed windows of the houses where the girls were to be housed. On the night from Thursday to Friday, the mobile unit (ME) was deployed to control the unrest and a emergency ordinance was in effect. No arrests have been made.
Some residents are concerned about their safety due to the possible arrival of the asylum seekers. They told RTV Drenthe earlier this week that they think it is unfair that they are getting houses, while families with children and grandparents have been waiting for a home for years.
Some residents also said they doubted the municipality’s plans. They think that “traumatized boys” will also come.
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