‘We would like to provide the necessary support, but our aid workers must be able to do their work safely,’ says spokesperson Iris van Deinse. The Red Cross is in consultation with the police and the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). The service point will not open its doors again until the emergency services can do their work safely.
On Sunday, two groups of asylum seekers clashed in front of the fences around the application center. The police had to intervene to end the mating match. During the battle, rescuers from the Red Cross were present at the registration center, among other things to distribute water against the heat.
The Red Cross service point opened two weeks ago. There are usually about five people, volunteers and employees, who mainly try to provide for the basic needs of the asylum seekers who come to Ter Apel. Asylum seekers can also knock on the door for information or a listening ear.
It remains busy at the application center, which does not have enough space to accommodate all asylum seekers. In the night from Sunday to Monday, about 150 people slept outside. Due to the expected rainfall in the coming days, COA is trying to prevent this at all costs in the coming days. The crowds are the result of the halted flow of asylum seekers. Asylum seekers’ centers no longer have a place, because status holders cannot move on to a home due to the overheated housing market, among other things.