Explosives found at planned asylum centre in Nuenen

A firework mortar and a suspected pipe bomb have been found in a building being converted into an asylum seekers’ centre in Nuenen, Brabant.

Workers discovered the devices on Thursday morning while moving furniture into the building on Pastoorsmast, police told regional broadcaster Omroep Brabant. A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene, and several of the building’s windows had also been smashed.

The empty premises are being turned into a temporary shelter for up to 159 asylum seekers, due to open this summer. The area has been cordoned off and police are investigating.

The plan has drawn strong local opposition, with more than 1,000 objections lodged. The council decided to press ahead in modified form, and reception agency COA has promised round-the-clock security and a dedicated phone line for neighbours.

A small group of opponents went to court in Den Bosch on Thursday to try to halt the opening, arguing the centre sits too close to a residential area.

The find is the latest in a run of attacks on sites earmarked for asylum seekers. In May, an explosion damaged a building in Den Bosch where the council plans to house teenage refugees, and disused buildings in Loosdrecht and elsewhere have been targeted during weeks of protests.

The security service AIVD is investigating whether organised groups are behind the unrest.