From the end of this month, up to sixty unaccompanied asylum children will be cared for in Hotel Aan de Vaart in Appelscha. The municipality of Ooststellingwerf wants to relieve the overcrowded reception center in Ter Apel, where more underage asylum seekers are housed than allowed.
The emergency shelter lasts for six months. If there is reason to do so, this can be extended by another six months. Children mainly come to the hotel from Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen, whose asylum procedure is still ongoing. There is permanent supervision and guidance available.
The court ruled last month that the State and the Central Agency for the reception of asylum seekers do not meet European standards for humane reception. Among other things, the number of unaccompanied minors who are unaccompanied by asylum seekers (AMVs) in Ter Apel is significantly exceeded. Mayor Sandra Korthuis of Ooststellingwerf acknowledges that ‘the need is great’ and lends support. “We see it as our social duty to cooperate under good conditions in the reception of refugees.”
The hotel will be renovated this week so that the asylum seekers can move in soon. Local residents have been informed of their arrival, the municipality reports.