An attempt by a small refugee centre in Friesland to avoid clashes between local youths and young residents, by taking the asylum seekers out for the day, has been slammed by immigration minister Marjolein Faber.

Staff at the centre are taking a group of young refugees to the Efteling amusement park, in an effort to prevent any trouble during the Saturday of the Sint Annaparochie village fair.

In 2024, three local teenagers were reportedly stabbed by residents of the refugee centre. The alleged perpetrators have since been moved to another location, but tensions in the village remain high, according to local newspaper Leeuwarder Courant.

The continuing unease prompted staff to organise the annual day trip to coincide with the village event. The centre has a budget for excursions and activities.

However, Faber wrote on social media on Thursday evening that she considers the idea “on-uit-leg-baar” (impossible to explain) and criticised it as a “fun day out at the taxpayer’s expense”.

“We are not going to do this and I am going to talk to the COA about it,” the minister said.

Faber has previously stated she wants refugee accommodation to be “more basic” and recently rejected a proposed site for a new centre because residents would have had their own rooms.

She has also said asylum seekers living in government-run accommodation will be required to cook their own meals as a cost-saving measure.