According to Qbuzz, these were nuisance ‘safelanders’ from the asylum seekers’ center in Ter Apel. These are asylum seekers from countries that are considered safe by the Dutch government. For this reason, they have little chance of obtaining a residence permit in the Netherlands.
“We have heard from many bus drivers that they feel that causing inconvenience pays off if you make the ride free,” says Edwin Kuiper, director at the public transport branch of the FNV. The new shuttle service is organized by the Ministry of Justice and Security, together with the municipalities and Qbuzz.
One of the bus drivers who is not happy with the new free bus line is Dirk Visser. He has been working for Qbuzz for seventeen years and used to drive the scheduled bus that takes asylum seekers to Ter Apel. “Then I saw a lot of people harassing. Sometimes a windshield wiper or door broke.”
Visser is afraid that the free bus ride will cause more nuisance in Emmen. “This is where it accumulates.” He also expects that other travelers will now also want to travel for free. “Then I can only say: fine, just sit down. Of course that’s not possible, but I understand that those questions come.”