Noodopvang Harderwijk (Graaf Ottolaan)
The asylum reception centre on the Graaf Ottolaan in Harderwijk saw a spike in trouble in the summer of 2025, including a stabbing incident and an assault on a neighbour, prompting the council, police and COA to bring in tighter security, extra patrols and location bans. The municipality says most of the nuisance came from a small number of people, many from outside the centre. Harderwijk had a long-standing agreement that the site would close on 1 June 2026 after ten years, but the COA announced it would keep the centre open for up to a further year, leading the council to start enforcement proceedings.
Occupancy
217
people (Aug 2025)
Per night
€184
per person (benchmark)
Annual
€15m
estimated
Background
The site sits at Graaf Ottolaan, Harderwijk. It is run by the COA (Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers), the Dutch government’s asylum-reception agency. For what the azc / noodopvang categories mean and how Dutch reception spending breaks down, open the cost panel on the interactive map with the Netherlands selected in Settings.
In the news
Jun 2026
azc Harderwijk (Graaf Ottolaan) to close
The azc on the Graaf Ottolaan, open ten years, was contractually due to close definitively on 1 June 2026 (rental contract terminated December 2025); COA announced it would not close on time and the municipality has started enforcement.
Omroep Gelderland · source
Jul 2025
Measures against nuisance on and around asylum centre Graaf Ottolaan
After a calmer period, the centre saw a rise in incidents including a stabbing on the premises and an assault on a neighbour by a minor from another municipality. The council, police and COA stepped up security, visitor checks, CCTV and patrols, issued five location bans and transferred several residents.
Harderwijker Courant · source
2026
Promise broken: AZC on Graaf Ottolaan stays open for now
The COA decided not to close the Graaf Ottolaan centre on 1 June 2026 as previously agreed after ten years, citing a national shortage of places and saying it needs the site for up to a further year. Harderwijk reacted with disappointment.
Harderwijk Nieuws · source
2026
COA will not close asylum centre; Harderwijk to enforce
Following the COA's decision to keep the Graaf Ottolaan reception open, the Harderwijk council announced it would take enforcement action, while acknowledging it lacks the means to force an immediate closure.
Harderwijker Courant · source
Compiled from public Dutch news reports (each item links to its source). Where a municipality runs more than one reception location, attribution to this specific address reflects the cited report and may be approximate — always check the linked source.
Timeline
Jul 2025
Extra measures after stabbing and assault
Council, police and COA tighten security at the Graaf Ottolaan centre after a stabbing incident and an assault on a neighbour; several people given location bans and some residents transferred.
May 2026
COA keeps centre open past agreed closure
Despite an agreement to close on 1 June 2026 after ten years, the COA says it needs the location for up to another year; Harderwijk reacts with disappointment and starts enforcement proceedings.
Cost
Dutch asylum reception is funded by central government through the COA. At an illustrative benchmark of about €184 per person per night for emergency reception (noodopvang), the 217 people recorded here on 13 August 2025 imply roughly €15m per year. This is an order-of-magnitude figure for context only, not a site-specific invoice — emergency reception typically runs around three times the cost of a regular centre.
Sources
COA / Rijksoverheid (Kamerstuk, 5 Sep 2025) · 2025-08-13. View source
Occupancy is the COA register snapshot of 13 August 2025 and may have changed since. Coordinates were geocoded from the published street address via the official PDOK Locatieserver.