No one is outside the application center in Ter Apel tonight, a spokesperson for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) said. “All people have a shelter through COA and municipalities,” said the spokesman.
Earlier today, the COA said it was concerned about the situation at the application center because rain was forecast. In Ter Apel, asylum seekers again slept outside last night, a total of 250. Because there are only awning tents on the site, outdoor sleepers would not be well protected against rain tonight.
The COA said earlier today that about 350 people who stayed outside the gates of Ter Apel were taken to crisis emergency shelter locations by bus. According to the COA, it is the intention that no one sleeps outside tonight.
The application center 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.