Although the Expo Hall in Assen should be closed as an emergency shelter for asylum seekers as of January 1, the complex will remain open for another month for the temporary shelter of refugees.
200 refugees would move to a new location in The Hague today and tomorrow. However, water damage has occurred here, which means that this location is not yet ready for shelter. That is why the shelter in the Expo Hall has been extended by one month until February 1.
COA received a message today that the location in The Hague was not ready for reception. “Today everything started running,” says spokesperson Alet Bouwmeester. “Due to the water damage, work is needed in the new building, which is why the shelter in Assen has been extended by a month. Ultimately, adequate shelter for the residents is our main task.”
The event hall next to the TT circuit has served as an emergency shelter for up to 500 people since November 2021 to relieve the pressure in Ter Apel.
From 2023, the Expo Hall will function as a ‘waiting room’ for the Ter Apel registration center, to prevent people from having to sleep outside. The intention was for refugees to stay here who had not yet completed their entire registration process in Ter Apel. Newly arrived asylum seekers would stay here for a maximum of five days.
The Expo Hall was initially going to be used as a shelter for a number of months, but this was continuously extended over time due to the pressure on the Ter Apel registration center.
There was also increasing criticism of the conditions under which refugees lived in the hall, including from the Council for Refugees, UNHCR and the Justice and Security Inspectorate. People regularly stayed there many times longer than the agreed five days, despite the extremely basic facilities at the reception location. There were also concerns about the health of children in particular who stayed in the hall.
The COA then took measures and tackled the noise, provided more privacy and better food.
Owner the Lenferink Group from Zwolle has plans for a day attraction for the Expo Hall. The hall at the TT Circuit must become a place where mobility, technology and motorsport come together.