Twenty-four councils are now under government supervision for failing to provide enough asylum accommodation, after asylum and migration minister Van den Brink added fourteen new names to the list.

His ministry publishes a monthly list of councils not meeting their legal obligation under the “spreading law”, which sets each council a share of the places the country needs. The first ten were named last month.

Being placed under supervision means the responsible councillors must come to the ministry to explain themselves and agree where and when an asylum centre will open.

The government uses a six-step escalation ladder. The 24 councils are on step three. At step six the cabinet can force a council to open a centre.

A ministry spokesperson said appearing on the list was a factual observation and doesn’t indicate a particular reason. It could reflect political unwillingness or other obstacles, which are established at talks with the ministry.

Only one of those talks has taken place so far, partly because of the summer holidays. That meeting was with Westland, which is required to house about 700 asylum seekers and has so far provided none. It has resisted the law for years, and its council previously said there was no local support for a centre.

The fourteen added are Aalsmeer, Bronckhorst, Brunssum, Bunschoten, De Ronde Venen, Dinkelland, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Hellendoorn, Lopik, Montfoort, Oldebroek, Oldenzaal, Vlaardingen and Vught.

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