Overview
- Reinier van Zutphen concludes the municipality treated complaints improperly, saying the council became largely invisible and failed to listen to residents.
- Tubbergen had external lawyers handle grievances instead of officials, a choice the Ombudsman says deepened distance and confusion for people seeking answers.
- Complaint cases exceeded legal deadlines by months, with some still unresolved despite rules requiring timely decisions.
- Mayor Anko Postma expresses regret and vows to restore trust, noting the decision followed threats and security incidents that accompanied the 2022 national designation of the site.
- The Association of Netherlands Municipalities says the case predates the spreidingswet and urges clear national direction as a harsher political climate complicates local asylum reception.