The research focuses mainly on what is legally possible and who is allowed to make such a decision.
The spokesperson for the mayor of Groningen Schuiling confirms to RTL Nieuws the investigation into the legal possibilities of a closure. “That happens because of the situation that we have seen in front of the gate of the application center in recent days. Dozens of people spent the night there. We don’t want that anymore.”
According to this spokesperson, this is in all cases a temporary closure. The registration process should continue. “That is why we are also investigating what such a closure will look like.”
The application center in Ter Apel has been overcrowded for a long time, partly because the flow of people with a residence permit from reception centers to homes has stagnated. Asylum seekers also sometimes return to Ter Apel after a few weeks if the crisis emergency shelter where they were received closes. Due to the lack of space, people regularly had to sleep outside on chairs and in tents in recent weeks.
This is not the first time that the possibilities of a temporary closure are being looked at. That was also the case in March, but in the end it didn’t come to that.