A quiet Dutch holiday park has landed in hot water after hosting asylum-seeker families and migrant workers in chalets meant for tourists, all without alerting local authorities.
The deal, which costs taxpayers a staggering €300,000 monthly, drew sharp criticism from Berg en Dal’s mayor, Mark Slinkman, who’s demanding the arrangement be scrapped.
At the heart of the uproar is De Oude Molen holiday park, where 19 chalets were rented to the Dutch Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) at €4,000 a week each. This steep cost, Slinkman argues, is “not socially justifiable.” The mayor has ordered the chalets cleared and warned the park management of €250,000 fines for non-compliance.
Currently, the chalets house 139 individuals—mostly women and children from Somalia and Eritrea—family members of asylum seekers already settled in the Netherlands. Adding to the tension, 25 chalets are occupied by migrant workers from countries like Poland and Romania, who pay cash for their stays. Both groups now face eviction.
The COA admitted fault for not informing the municipality about the arrangement and issued an apology. It’s the second such incident in Berg en Dal; last year, asylum seekers were housed unannounced at a local hotel.
Mayor Slinkman voiced concerns over the impact on tourism and local businesses. “Permanent asylum seekers instead of tourists could hurt catering, shops, and bicycle rentals,” he warned. The park’s winter off-season leasing decision drew mixed reactions—some locals sympathized, seeing it as a way to fill vacancies, while others worried it tarnished the village’s reputation as a holiday destination.
Outrage has largely targeted the COA, not just for the lucrative deal but also for keeping it under wraps. To manage the fallout, the municipality has stationed a supervisor at the park to assist asylum seekers and serve as a liaison. Police patrols will also increase to address any safety concerns.
Slinkman assured the public that no immediate evictions would occur. Alternative housing is being arranged before any relocations. Meanwhile, the holiday park management has remained silent on the controversy.
