What is the effect of the Dutch Distribution Act in practice?

Anyone seeking asylum in the Netherlands is entitled to shelter during the asylum procedure. The Distribution Act is intended to ensure sufficient permanent shelter facilities and their fair distribution throughout the Netherlands. But what is the effect of the law in practice? And how is it being implemented?

_{By Esther van der Meer}

A research team from the Department of Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Public Administration at the University of Groningen and the research firm Pro Facto will investigate this on behalf of the WODC. The team is led by Bert Marseille and Heinrich Winter.

A Heavily Debated Law

The Distribution Act is one of the most hotly debated laws of recent years. The law took effect on February 1, 2024; according to the Schoof I cabinet, it was supposed to be repealed as soon as possible thereafter, but the coalition agreement of the current Jetten cabinet stipulates that the law will be retained after all.

An investigation by the NOS, Nieuwsuur, and regional broadcasters revealed this month that the target of 101,500 shelter spots—which must be ready for use by July 1, 2026—is still far from being met. According to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), 73,000 spots were available at the beginning of this month.

More Spaces, but Still Not Enough

In a COA assessment, two years after the law’s implementation, it was found that while more than 12,000 shelter spaces had been added, these were primarily temporary accommodations. The number of permanent shelter locations is also growing gradually. By 2026, the COA expects about 6,000 new permanent spaces.

Various municipalities and the COA expect that many new reception sites will be added in the coming months and years and that many existing sites can be extended. Furthermore, an analysis by the NOS of the first 212 coalition agreements following the municipal elections in March shows that most municipalities are willing to implement the Distribution Act.

In the study for the WODC, data on implementation will be collected, experiences will be documented, and the decision-making process will be mapped out using registration analyses, interviews, questionnaire surveys, and case studies.

The study will run from September 1, 2026, to September 1, 2027.