The national refugee settlement agency COA has wasted at least €20m with its choice of emergency accommodation and contractors, the Telegraaf said on Thursday.

The paper, which bases its claims on its own research, said that some contractors were given preferential treatment while officials to use expensive sports centres as emergency accommodation, rather than cheaper alternatives.

For example, the contract to revamp a youth prison in Doggershoek in Den Helder did not go to the cheapest bidder but to a company from Bolsward in Friesland, which said it could do the job in two months.

The work, which should have been completed in January, will now not be ready until August.

In many places, the COA opted to rent sports centres to put up refugees. One, in Hardenburg charged €68 per refugee per night, more than the most expensive hotel in the region, the Telegraaf said.

However, there were other empty properties nearby which could have been used much more cheaply, the paper said.

The COA declined to comment on the Telegraaf’s claims, the paper said.

Cost

The cost of looking after asylum seekers rose €300m to €800m last year, the COA said last month.

The increase in costs stems from the surge in refugee numbers in September and October in particular. Over 18,000 people reported to the country’s refugee centres in those two months alone.