There is a ‘good atmosphere’ in the crisis emergency shelter in Heiloo, where about 150 asylum seekers are temporarily housed. Annerieke Dekker of the North Holland North Safety Region reports this to NH Nieuws. Now that most of the logistical arrangements are over, work is being done on daytime activities for the temporary residents: “We hope to provide a little relief and distraction.”
More than two weeks ago, 175 asylum seekers received in sports center Het Vennewater. They were transferred from Ter Apel to Heiloo to spare the overcrowded application center. Shortly after arrival, dozens of them were transferred to another location after a fight broke out in the emergency shelter.
It is unknown what caused the quarrel. “What will not have helped is that people are tired, but also stressed by the situation they are in,” Dekker said earlier. “There were mounting tensions, possibly due to cultural differences, and that got out of hand.”
jovial
But now the atmosphere is friendly: there is a group of about 150 people, including almost thirty children up to the age of twelve, says Dekker. “With the warm weather, we have set up two shallow swimming pools outside, where children can splash around safely. They were eagerly used.”
NH Nieuws reporter Anne Klijnstra was there when the sports hall was set up as an emergency reception location. Text continues below the video:
Asylum shelter Heiloo – NH Nieuws / Anne Klijnstra
Gradually, everyone is starting to find their own rhythm in the sports hall, says Dekker. “We are now busy organizing daytime activities.” The security region has contacted volunteers from Heiloo who have indicated that they want to contribute to this.
In the coming week, the security region wants to organize a film afternoon for the children and a music workshop. The tennis club has also offered to give tennis lessons and an acupuncturist will visit.
tennis lessons
Sybren van Dokkum of tennis club Het Vennewater says that the lessons ‘in all probability’ will take place on Wednesday and Friday. “We do this in small groups. That is handy with tennis anyway, but also because of the language difference it is smart to offer as much personal attention as possible.”
“It is more intended to move nicely together, than it is aimed at achieving a sporting performance”
He doesn’t quite know how the communication will go yet, but it is clear that it will be ‘a mix of English and hands and feet’. “It is also more intended for nice movement together, than it is aimed at achieving a sporting performance,” says Sybren. “We hope to offer the participants a little relief and distraction from the situation they are in.”
New emergency shelter in Alkmaar
The crisis emergency shelter in sports hall Het Vennewater ends on 5 August. According to the security region, the people from the crisis emergency shelter will then go ‘if all goes well’ to an asylum seekers center: “It is not desirable that they have to stay in a crisis emergency shelter for so long.”
The Noord-Holland Noord safety region must once again provide 175 places to receive asylum seekers from Ter Apel, in addition to those for the fifty asylum seekers who will be accommodated for a longer period of time in ‘t Zand in the municipality of Schagen.
On Friday it became clear that the Alkmaar Sportpaleis new emergency shelter location will be.
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