Politics · Netherlands · 2 days ago
Twenty asylum seekers sleep outside in rain at Ter Apel centre
Twenty people seeking asylum slept on grass in the rain overnight outside the registration centre in Ter Apel, in the Netherlands.
Aid groups say there was no room for them indoors because the country lacks enough reception places.
A nearby day shelter can house up to 150 people, and that limit has been reached several times in recent weeks.
Some people have stayed there for as long as ten days and cannot wash, according to the Red Cross.
After earlier incidents in the night shelter, aid groups say they now admit only people already known to them through the day shelter.
They are asking Dutch municipalities to arrange emergency places, while the minister responsible for asylum reception says he will look for locations with local authorities soon.
The shortage has left people without shelter and raised concerns about the conditions for those seeking asylum.
Twenty asylum seekers slept on grass in the rain outside the registration centre in Ter Apel during the night from Thursday to Friday.
The Red Cross and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland said the lack of accommodation places caused the situation.
The aid organisations said the accommodation system had fallen below a “humanitarian threshold”.
A day shelter near the centre can house up to 150 people, and that limit has been reached several times in recent weeks.
The aid organisations called on Dutch municipalities to arrange emergency accommodation immediately.
- Who
- Twenty asylum seekers slept outside. The Red Cross and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland reported the situation.
- What
- They slept on grass in the rain because there was no room for them inside.
- When
- During the night from Thursday to Friday, before the reports published on 9 October 2026.
- Where
- Outside the asylum registration centre in Ter Apel, the Netherlands.
- Why
- There were not enough accommodation places, and the emergency night shelter was limited to people already known to the aid organisations from the day shelter.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
We now have to say that, for safety, we will only help in the night shelter the people we know from the day shelter. That is why people are sleeping on the forecourt.
We have people who have been in that shelter for ten days; people cannot wash there.
It is the government's responsibility, and we are doing what we can to help.
Unworthy of the Netherlands
A temporary additional emergency shelter has been operating in Ter Apel.
Twenty asylum seekers slept on grass in the rain outside the registration centre.
The Red Cross and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland reported the overnight situation and called for municipalities to arrange emergency accommodation.
- People sleeping outside
- 20 asylum seekers
- Location
- Ter Apel, the Netherlands
- Day shelter capacity
- Up to 150 people
- Shelter limit
- Reached several times in recent weeks
- Temporary emergency shelter
- Operating in Ter Apel since the summer
Sources
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