23 apr 2024 om 13:56 Update: 16 uur geleden
2,318 asylum seekers slept in the registration center in Ter Apel during the night from Monday to Tuesday. That is the largest number since the judge ruled that no more than 2,000 people are allowed to spend the night in the center.
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) was unable to find a bed for everyone during the night from Monday to Tuesday. Six people who arrived in Ter Apel at night were assigned a seat.
The six were taken to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) on Tuesday morning for pre-registration. A COA spokesperson could not say exactly what time they entered and how much time they spent in a chair.
According to the spokesperson, the large occupancy makes it difficult to find out which bed is available at night. COA employees must take into account the composition of the groups in the various rooms. “It sometimes requires shifts. You’re not going to wake people up in the middle of the night.”
Last week, four people also had to spend a night in a chair in the registration center. They also arrived in Ter Apel at night.
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COA already has to pay 720,000 euros to the municipality
Since February 22, the COA has had to pay a penalty to the municipality of Westerwolde, of which Ter Apel is a part, if more than two thousand asylum seekers sleep in the registration center. The last time we managed to stay below that limit was on Friday, March 8.
The penalty is 15,000 euros per night. The total amount has so far risen to 720,000 euros.
According to the spokesperson, asylum seekers are gradually being transferred to other reception locations. But that number is smaller than the number of people who enter Ter Apel. COA regularly calls on municipalities to provide new shelters.
