The Enforcement and Supervision Centre (HTL) for asylum seekers who caused a serious nuisance

The Enforcement and Supervision Centre,

or HTL for short, is located in Hoogeveen.

It houses asylum seekers who have previously caused a serious nuisance

in a regular asylum seekers’ centre, or azc.

This might involve the destruction of property, aggression,

bullying or breaking house rules.

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)

Asylum seekers who cause serious problems

are transferred to the HTL for a maximum of three months.

They are also subjected to an area order.

This limits their freedom of movement drastically.

Transferring troublemakers to the HTL shows

that we do not tolerate antisocial behaviour.

This leads to improved security and quality of life

in and around asylum seekers’ centres.

Troublemakers who are sent to the HTL

but their movements are restricted.

The HTL is a gated community.

Inside the HTL, the COA works with the DJI,

the Custodial Institutions Agency.

DJI staff ensure that HTL residents comply

with the stipulations in their area orders.

Area orders reduce antisocial behaviour

outside the HTL to the bare minimum.

The house rules inside the HTL are

stricter than in a regular azc.

The asylum seekers attend an intensive, compulsory day

programme, including behavioural training.

They are also given conditions for

their asylum or return process.

Thanks to the HTL, regular azcs and surrounding

areas are safer and more secure:

for our staff, for the majority of asylum seekers who

do not cause trouble and for those who live near azcs.

To sum up, the Netherlands does not tolerate

antisocial behaviour by asylum seekers.

Troublemakers are dealt with severely.