The asylum seekers on the refugee boat in Meppel have been on hunger strike since yesterday. It concerns about 75 out of a hundred men. They do not agree with the way they are treated by the COA and the IND.
The protest group is taking action for two reasons. First, they don’t agree with the way they are cared for. In Meppel, the men receive everything in kind: three meals a day and other utensils such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. They would rather have part of this paid out in money so that they can do their own shopping. That happens in some other locations. There the residents only get the hot meal and they can buy the rest themselves.
“They have been on the boat for a long time now and want to buy their own things,” says a spokesperson for the COA. That wish is known and there is understanding. However, this has not been decided in recent months. This is due to the facilities: there is very little space on the boat. For example, there is no room where residents can prepare their own food or store it in refrigerators.
The other irritation of the refugees is towards the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), the organization that deals with the asylum procedure. The asylum seekers in Meppel have been waiting for clarity for a long time. Too long, they say now. “They want to take the next step in their procedure. This waiting limits people’s ability. They have no prospect of family reunification or of obtaining a BSN number so that they can work. Those two things have apparently reached a high level and are now the launch of a hunger strike.”
The complaints about the IND have been passed on by the COA. The question about shopping money is currently being processed. Lubricating breakfast and lunch yourself is an option for COA. This is already being done in some locations. “And the refugees then hear from each other, and they like that idea. They want to eat according to their own taste or buy a deodorant to their own preference.”
That is why it is now being examined whether something can be arranged on the quay. “We have no idea yet whether that is a possibility, but we want to investigate it.” According to the spokesperson, the situation in Meppel is starting to get tight. “Because they stay in a place where you normally don’t want to stay longer than a few weeks. Now that it takes longer and longer, they are afraid of being forgotten.”
The action started yesterday morning and it is unknown how long the men want to last. There are health risks involved in a hunger strike, which is why medical assistance is called in. “We’ve experienced this before. It’s not fun, but it doesn’t scare us,” reports the COA. “There are protocols and they have been started. For example, a doctor has been called in who checks people daily.”
The COA is confident that this protest will end well. There is only one option for the long term, the spokesperson says. “These are normal reception locations. We are creative and improvise like the best. But this is really far from ideal.”