Asylum seekers who behave aggressively or cause disturbances are to be rehoused in a new high-security facility in Amsterdam.

A former youth custody centre on Transformerweg is to be used for the new centre, where residents will be subjected to a more basic regime with less freedom of movement and stricter supervision.

The government approached the city council with the request to build the centre, one of two or three planned by the COA, the organisation responsible for accommodating asylum seekers.

The COA will rehouse asylum seekers from other centres who behave aggressively or threateningly, vandalise the facilities, repeatedly breach the house rules or discriminate against homosexuals. The city council stressed that the centre is not designed for house people who have been convicted of a crime or who have psychiatric problems.

‘Amsterdam believes it is important for asylum seekers to be able to live and work in decent conditions,’ said a spokesman for the council. ‘The COA has said there is a real need for this kind of facility and we are happy to offer a helping hand.’