4.7.3.1. House rules and measures for disruptive applicants

Managing applicants with disruptive behaviour remained a priority in the Netherlands. Efforts to set up new reception facilities were often undermined by the negative image given by a small group of applicants,653 in addition to other challenges related to cooperation with municipalities, such as funding modalities. The government has made funds available for financing local, small-scale measures implemented by municipalities since 2020, and in 2022, EUR 1.25 million were made available.654  A National Coordinator for Managing Disruption was established to coordinate among different stakeholders and ensure consistency across various measures.655  

Mobile Support Teams started visiting facilities where disruptions had a significant impact on residents’ daily lives and offered tailor-made support in managing the situations.656 Several AMIF-funded projects focused on establishing methods to counter disruptive behaviour, especially by unaccompanied minors (see Section 5).657  The special enforcement and supervision centre (HTL) in Hoogeveen for applicants with disruptive behaviour continued its operations. However, the Justice and Security Inspectorate investigated the living conditions and safety of residents in the centre.658  COA noted the difficult circumstances in which employees needed to manage potentially dangerous situations with these applicants and committed to work together with the inspectorate to implement the recommendations.659

The CJEU confirmed that sanctions under the recast RCD can also be applied when an applicant is seriously violent outside of the reception facility. However, a sanction related to the withdrawal of material reception conditions can only be imposed if it does not have the effect of depriving the applicant of the possibility of meeting the most basic needs (see Section 2.6).