The beds are there, but Groot Bankenbosch is not yet ready to receive a maximum of 140 refugees. Not today, but next Wednesday afternoon the first bus is expected. Veenhuizen will provide shelter to asylum seekers for almost two months.
“This doesn’t make you happy, does it?” Alderman Alex Wekema frowns and looks into the Veenhuizer gym. Groot Bankenbosch, formerly a complex for juvenile detainees, will be transformed into temporary shelter for refugees in a few days. The situation in Ter Apel is dire and asylum seekers can at least sleep inside in the prison village. But no, the blue bunk beds don’t look very attractive.
The limited space between the beds is particularly striking. “There must be at least 60 centimeters between the beds,” says project leader Bertus Reinders. “But we prefer to keep a little more space. That prevents mutual annoyances.”
Veenhuizen can accommodate a maximum of 140 refugees, but the municipality is aiming for 120 first. To keep it manageable and clear. “Mostly men come,” alderman Wekema of the Noordenveld municipality says. “No children. If women still come, they will be given a separate sleeping area.”
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