Open asylum centre day brings neighbours and residents together
At around 160 reception centres, visitors were able to learn about daily life in reception accommodation on Saturday.
Around 160 asylum seekers’ centres and emergency reception sites opened their doors to local residents and other interested visitors on Saturday. The nationwide Open azc Day focused on meetings, tours and conversations with residents and staff.
The open day was organised by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., visitors could look inside sites that are not normally freely accessible. According to announcements by municipalities and regional broadcasters, around 160 reception sites across the Netherlands took part.
The programmes included tours, information stalls, workshops, tastings and performances. Visitors could also talk to residents, volunteers and staff about daily life in an azc. Some sites allowed visitors to attend language lessons or see activities for children.
The Open azc Day coincided with National Neighbours’ Day. This explicitly presented the reception site as part of the local community. Municipalities referred residents to the COA for an overview of participating sites and practical information for each location.
Interest in the annual open day is not new. According to regional reports, more than 16,000 visitors came to participating reception sites last year. For 2026, no nationwide, verified final tally has been published in the public sources consulted.
COA board chairman Remco Bakker told Omroep P&M that the organisation wants to show what life is like at reception sites, particularly now that support for asylum accommodation is under pressure. The organisation sees personal meetings as a way to answer questions and reduce prejudice.
An open day does give visitors an impression of one site and one afternoon, but it does not say everything about the reception system as a whole. Matters such as waiting times, safety, living conditions, supervision and the distribution of reception across municipalities are only partly addressed during such an event.
The value of the day therefore lies chiefly in direct contact. A judgement on asylum policy also requires public figures, independent inspections and information about the consequences for residents and municipalities. The public sources confirm the format and participation of the sites, but do not provide an independent nationwide picture of visitors’ experiences.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The COA organised a nationwide Open azc Day on 26 September 2026.
- Around 160 reception sites opened their doors to visitors.
- The day coincided with National Neighbours’ Day.
- Visitors could take tours and speak with residents and staff, among other activities.
- A verified nationwide final tally of the number of visitors in 2026 was not included in the public sources consulted.
Left
Arguments Open days can narrow the distance between reception sites and neighbourhoods, but they are no substitute for a structurally humane reception policy. The government should invest in stable, small-scale reception, good support and genuine participation by local residents and residents of the sites.
Values Human dignity, inclusion, solidarity and equal treatment.
Consequences More meetings could reduce distrust; without structural improvements, the effect is likely to remain limited to a single event.
Centre
Arguments Openness is useful, but trust requires a combination of personal contact, clear information, supervision and agreements with municipalities. The open day should not be seen as proof that all concerns about reception are unfounded, but neither as proof that reception sites are inherently problematic.
Values Balance, feasibility, institutional trust and local cooperation.
Consequences A combination of transparency and oversight can strengthen public support, provided the government also openly acknowledges and follows up on problems.
Right
Arguments Local residents are entitled to remain critical of the scale, location and safety of reception. An open day is welcome if it provides an honest insight, but from this perspective it must not be used to bypass democratic decision-making or enforcement.
Values Public order, local authority, boundaries and government responsibility.
Consequences Greater transparency can increase support, but continuing concerns about nuisance or capacity may instead grow if they are not demonstrably addressed.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The factual core is based on several public sources from a government website and regional broadcasters. The text makes clear that no verified nationwide final tally for 2026 was available and avoids making an unconfirmed claim about it.
- confirmed Around 160 reception sites took part in the Open azc Day. — ZO-NWS and Radio De Blauwe Tegel mention around 160 azcs and emergency reception sites. source
- confirmed The sites were open on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — This time appears in announcements by Omroep P&M and municipalities. source
- confirmed The Open azc Day coincided with National Neighbours’ Day. — The regional sources mention both events on the same day. source
- confirmed There were tours, workshops, information stalls, tastings and performances. — These activities are mentioned in announcements by the participating sites. source
- confirmed More than 16,000 visitors came to participating reception sites last year. — ZO-NWS attributes this figure to the COA. source
- uncertain No verified nationwide final tally for 2026 is available in the sources consulted. — The public sources used describe the format and participation, but do not publish a nationwide final tally. source
Editor's note
The nationwide format, the participation of around 160 reception sites, the timing, the activities and the link with National Neighbours’ Day are certain. The exact nationwide visitor figures for 2026 and an independent evaluation of the effect on public support were absent from the freely accessible sources consulted.Sources
- Open dag bij asielzoekerscentrum Sweikhuizen — ZO-NWS
- Landelijke Open AZC-dag — Omroep P&M
- Bezoek Open azc dag 2026 op 26 september: Kom langs — Gemeente Bronckhorst
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „asielopvang azc”
- AD — „asielopvang azc”
- de Volkskrant — „asielopvang azc”