In Ter Apel, more than the permitted maximum number of 2,000 people spent the night from Friday to Saturday for the first time in two weeks. Last night, 2,002 people slept in the registration center, a spokesperson for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) said.
Last month, the judge ruled that a maximum of 2,000 people may stay in Ter Apel, subject to a penalty of 15,000 euros per day. It is the third time that the permitted maximum has been violated. The penalty must be paid to the municipality of Westerwolde, where the center is located. The COA spokesperson could not yet say whether it will be possible to stay below the maximum next night.
The COA announced earlier this week that it was only possible to stay below the maximum by, among other things, moving asylum seekers through the country more often. “Whether the limit is 2,000 or 2,200 places makes little difference,” a spokeswoman said earlier. “The bottom line is there are not enough shelters in the country.”
Outgoing State Secretary Eric van der Burg said in Parliament on Thursday that creating shelters remains difficult. He announced that two large reception locations will close between now and March 14, resulting in a total loss of 1,900 places.