people who helped people sleeping outside Ter Apel were treated improperly

NOS News•today, 07:11

The government responded improperly and inappropriately to people who wanted to offer help to asylum seekers in Ter Apel two years ago. This is the opinion of the National Ombudsman in the report Forbidden to provide assistance? The ombudsman conducted an investigation after complaints from human rights organization MiGreat, among others.

The registration center of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) in Ter Apel was overcrowded in 2022. Hundreds of people were forced to sleep outside on chairs and were not assigned a bed. There was also no drinking water and hardly any access to showers and toilets.

According to the report, local residents and authorities offered help because the “government was failing”. Instead of accepting help, tents and resources were taken away. There was also a threat of criminal action. “This response was inappropriate.”

“The government can be expected to think along and work with citizens on a solution, instead of punishing citizens who provide help,” says National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen. Van Zutphen entered into discussions with various government agencies for the report. He saw in the conversations that the government is “willing to learn”.

There is still a chance that asylum seekers will have to sleep outside because the registration center is full. In recent months, the COA had to pay a penalty several times because too many people were sleeping in the asylum centre. This penalty has now risen to hundreds of thousands of euros.

The ombudsman points out that asylum seeker centers are becoming overcrowded because temporary reception locations are closing and no new ones are being added. Van Zutphen therefore encourages the municipalities to take action. “Everyone I speak to wants to prevent a repeat of the situation of two years ago in Ter Apel. This is only possible if all municipalities in the Netherlands now jointly take up the challenge, stand side by side and take their responsibility in the reception of asylum seekers.”