Stadskanaal will offer shelter to asylum seekers who cannot get a bed in the application center in Ter Apel because of the crowds there. The Groningen municipality offers the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) to use a transfer location for Ukrainians, which is empty and has a hundred beds.
The Groningen Stadskanaal, which is close to Ter Apel, says it is “with sorrow” that people in Ter Apel regularly sleep outside or on chairs.
“We find this degrading,” said Mayor Klaas Sloots. Because it turned out that people in Ter Apel already need a place to sleep on Thursday, the first refugees will immediately stay at the Manegelaan in Stadskanaal in the night from Thursday to Friday. According to RTV North it concerns 90 asylum seekers.
The intention is that people in Stadskanaal will be accommodated for one night and will move to a new location the next day. For example, “overflow” for people who have just arrived in Ter Apel will be accommodated. The location in Stadskanaal is not eligible for longer-term reception, which the security regions are currently looking at.
Regions work together for extra places
If this tent with the beds should be necessary for Ukrainians, the temporary agreement with the COA will stop. This also concerns a so-called transfer location, which means that Ukrainians also stay in the tent for a maximum of one or two nights.
The application center in Ter Apel has not been able to cope with the influx of asylum seekers for weeks. An attempt is made to relieve Ter Apel through all kinds of emergency measures, to prevent asylum seekers from having to spend the night on chairs because there is no longer room in the center.
To relieve the pressure on Ter Apel, security regions are setting up 150 extra places per region. In the coming period, four other regions must jointly have 600 places available.
Reception places also in other places for asylum seekers
Also in other parts of the country, some of the crisis shelters for Ukrainian refugees are made available to asylum seekers. These crisis places are intended for short reception in, for example, a hotel, for a maximum of one week. After that, a place has to be found where they can stay longer.
A local spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice and Security is being examined who can be accommodated in these crisis locations. Ukrainians, but also asylum seekers can be accommodated in this crisis shelter.
Municipalities had to have realized 50,000 reception places for Ukrainian refugees by May, as previously agreed with the cabinet. The goal is now to arrange 75,000 places. On 9 June, more than 50,000 places were available for the first time. By Tuesday, the number had fallen to 47,729 reception places. 41,824 Ukrainian refugees are now using a shelter.