DUTCH DOUBLE ASYLUM-SEEKER PLACES

THE HAGUE: The Netherlands will double the number of beds and shelters for tens of thousands of asylum-seekers after striking a deal with local authorities, officials said on Friday amid a burgeoning refugee crisis.

As Europe grapples with its biggest flow of migrants since World War II, the Dutch government is also freeing up a further €350 million (about 13 billion baht) for this year to help it meet the challenge.

An additional 42,500 spaces will be created for new asylum-seekers arriving in the country, of which 10,000 will only be available for three to six months.

“Given how many people are coming, it is inevitable that it will only be a modest welcome,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

A further 24,000 places will be created for people whose requests for asylum have already been granted.

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and poverty mainly in the Middle East and Africa have landed on European shores in recent months.

Some 46,000 people are already being housed in shelters for asylum-seekers in the Netherlands, a spokesman for the justice ministry said.

But 16,000 of them have already won asylum and are now waiting to be rehoused. A total of about 60,000 refugees are expected to have arrived in the country by the end of the year.

The issue of immigration has sharply divided the Netherlands in recent months, even though the Dutch have largely been known for their tolerant, multicultural society.

Mr Rutte told reporters last week: “We need to stem the flow of migrants coming to Europe. We can’t continue at the present level.”