Residents living near the large-scale asylum seekers’ center (AZC) in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, have described what they say is a sharp deterioration in safety and quality of life.
Tom de Nooijer, party leader and municipal council member of the Christian Association Oldebroek (CVO), canvassed opinion ahead of a potential asylum accommodation debate in the neighboring town of Oldebroek.
In a video published on social media, De Nooijer said he had crossed the municipal border to ask residents directly about their experiences. “What is it like to have a large-scale AZC in your municipality?” he asked, explaining that Oldebroek does not currently host such a facility but is discussing asylum accommodation.
Several residents revealed a considerable decline in public safety. One elderly lady said, “I won’t walk my dog here at night after nine o’clock. So that says it all.” A mother added, “Fights, shots were fired here on the premises.”
NU ONLINE: AZC-terreur in Harderwijk.
De buurt doet een boekje open: steekpartijen in je voortuin, schoten, jonge kinderen lastigvallen, en zelfs hevig geweld tegen omwonenden.
De politie is machteloos…
Verbijsterend. Bekijk de hele reportage: https://t.co/AaBpV9T5MX pic.twitter.com/Ftcmh91hZc
— Tom de Nooijer (@tdenooijer) February 25, 2026Others alleged frequent disturbances, with one resident stating, “Lots of crime, aggressiveness, police, ambulances. Every week there is something.”
Some described several incidents involving knives. “One stabbing to another stabbing. And then again that fuss, fights with people in the street,” one local said. Another added, “They stab each other. Just in the middle of the street with the children walking by.” A resident living opposite the center, who uses a mobility scooter, said, “If you see how often the police stand there. Surely that says it all.”
Claims of theft were also raised. “There is a lot of theft, so you can’t leave your bike open for a while,” one man said, adding that a local supermarket “had to take extra security because people also steal everything.” A teen boy told De Nooijer, “Just last month, someone broke into a neighbor’s car.”
One man said he had suffered a “broken nose” by one of the residents and described the ongoing situation as “one big mess.”
When asked what advice they would give to Oldebroek if it proceeds with asylum reception plans, the responses were overwhelmingly negative. “I advise against it to every municipality,” one resident said. Another added, “Oh no, please let them never get into it.” A third stated, “I would not advise that, as it only brings a bit of insecurity indeed.”
Harderwijk authorities have not responded publicly within the context of this video to the allegations made by residents. The AZC system in the Netherlands is managed nationally, with municipalities often tasked with hosting facilities under central government agreements.
Harderwijk is not the only Dutch municipality where asylum reception centers have come under scrutiny. In November 2025, serious unrest was again reported at a controversial center for unaccompanied minors on the Soestdijk Palace estate in Baarn, near Utrecht. Local reporting revealed that with around 90 asylum seekers housed there last year, the facility recorded 309 incidents in 2024, including roughly 100 cases involving physical or verbal violence.
An earlier investigation found vulnerable minors had allegedly been beaten, threatened, and forced to shoplift for older boys, with some assaults said to have taken place in nearby woods.
Tensions have also flared elsewhere. In October 2025, residents of Uithoorn protested plans to build a 250-person asylum center in their town alongside a 280-person facility just across the border in Amstelveen, less than two kilometers away. Demonstrations escalated into clashes with police, leading to arrests, as local politicians warned of growing division within the community.
High-profile criminal cases have further intensified debate. In February 2026, a Nigerian asylum seeker accused of murdering 17-year-old Lisa in Amsterdam confessed in court to the killing and to multiple sexual assaults. Lisa was murdered as she cycled home on Aug. 20 last year.
In another case, prosecutors alleged that three Syrian asylum seekers raped an 18-year-old student in Maastricht, with one suspect also accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
Dutch authorities maintain that asylum reception remains a national responsibility, with municipalities required to accommodate asylum seekers under government allocation rules.
The full report by the Christian Association Oldebroek can be viewed here.
