Luxury ferry without luxury ready for asylum seekers, but awaiting the judge

The judge will decide on Monday afternoon whether a maximum of twelve hundred asylum seekers can live temporarily on a large ship in the port of Velsen-Noord. A group of neighborhood entrepreneurs have initiated summary proceedings for fear of accidents when asylum seekers enter the factory site. They also believe that the reception location is unsafe.

If the judge finds the entrepreneurs wrong, the first asylum seekers will sleep on the ship on Monday evening. Six months later, the Central Shelter for Asylum Seekers (COA) must return the ship to the owner.

Due to the asylum crisis in our country, the AOC is looking for (emergency) shelters. A large ship is one of the solutions.

The AOC found a host ship, but many people in Velsen-Noord weren’t waiting for a ship with asylum seekers. This became clear when the municipality of Velsen authorized the mooring of the ship in June.

The entrepreneurs from Velsen-Noord therefore have objections to the location and safety of the host ship. They spoke out against the arrival of the boat. The ship’s location is very close to their production sites. Entrepreneurs fear that asylum seekers enter their premises, causing accidents.

The entrepreneurs also claim that the reception place is not safe. The municipality and the AOC disagree with this. Everything would be carefully organized.

The residents of Velsen-Noord are also opposed to the arrival of the kindergarten reception. They held a protest march. The special road signs were also covered in graffiti. These signals are intended to direct asylum seekers to the asylum ship.

Velsen-Noord residents and entrepreneurs are not happy with the asylum ship.

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Residents fear that asylum seekers have access to assistance and education in the village and that they themselves are lost. The municipality of Velsen has tried to dispel this fear. Asylum seekers receive assistance and training on the ship itself.

Older children attend an international school in Heemskerk or Beverwijk. There will also be a shuttle bus between Velsen-Noord and Beverwijk and IJmuiden. Not only asylum seekers, but also residents of Velsen can travel with it for free.

La Silja Europa is not a cruise ship, but a ferry.

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Is the new temporary asylum shelter a cruise ship or a large ferry? At first glance, the Silja Europa, as the ship is called, looks like a cruise ship. But COA would like to clarify that this is a ferry. The ship normally shuttles between Helsinki and Tallinn.

The Silja Europa has a lot of luxury for a ferry, but that luxury can be temporarily canceled. The boat is very soberly furnished for the kindergarten reception and the entertainment area is closed. “It’s definitely not a luxury cruise that goes to the Caribbean with all the trimmings,” clarifies an AOC spokesperson to NU.nl.

The ship is 202 meters long, 55 meters high and has fourteen decks and twelve floors. A thousand asylum seekers will soon be able to sleep. For thirty days the ship will host 1,200 asylum seekers.

The sleeping area is simply furnished.

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The rooms are very simply furnished. There is WiFi on board, but not in the rooms. There is, however, a playground for children. “It looks all right, but it’s not overly luxurious.” In addition, asylum seekers receive a meal in the large restaurant three times a day. There is no space for cooking in the sleeping area. “It’s nice to live with a buffet restaurant,” the spokesperson said.

COA does everything it can to soften the image of a luxury cruise. There must be support. For this COA has deliberately chosen not to use full capacity (over four thousand beds). The ship is much more expensive than a normal accommodation, but the demand is very high in the Netherlands.

On Monday afternoon, the AOC will hear from the judge whether the welcome on the ferry to Velsen-Noord can continue. And in the near future it will become clear whether there is support for a luxury asylum boat without luxury, but with kitchen staff.