Monday, 13 July 2026 - 17:50
Ter Apel
asylum center area declared safety risk zone after recent stabbings, fights
The area
around the asylum registration center in Ter Apel will become a safety risk
zone where preventive searches can be conducted, Dutch asylum and migration
Minister Van den Brink announced in a letter to parliament.
On the
center's grounds, a day shelter will also open so asylum seekers no longer have
to wait on the grass. Extra cameras will be installed on and around the site,
along with four additional security guards and two extra special enforcement
officers, known as BOAs.
The
measures aim to address growing safety concerns and unrest at the overcrowded
facility. As a direct result, the Red Cross has decided to resume its work in
Ter Apel, the organization reported.
Starting
Wednesday, a nearby existing office building will be used for registering new
asylum applicants. It will also house the day shelter, where strict rules will
be enforced to prevent violence and nuisance.
Last
week, the Red Cross and Vluchtelingenwerk stopped their work at Ter Apel after
safety for aid workers was compromised by fights and stabbing incidents on the
front grounds of the center.
Since May
20, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has operated
with restricted access. Only clearly vulnerable asylum seekers, such as women
and children, are allowed inside. Others must wait outside until a bed becomes
available.
The new
day shelter is intended to create a clear separation between regular asylum
seekers and those causing nuisance. Minister Van den Brink held consultations
on the situation with the COA, police, the Red Cross, and the municipality of
Westerwolde, which includes Ter Apel.
Under the
plan, new asylum seekers awaiting placement will receive day shelter on the
grounds. In the evenings, they will be bused to emergency night shelters in the
region to prevent them from wandering.
Strict
house rules will apply in the day shelter. Anyone who violates them and causes
nuisance will be denied access and may face criminal prosecution, Van den Brink
stated.
The Red
Cross will once again provide food and drinks and offer a listening ear in the
office building. The organization welcomed the changes.
"For
us, an important condition has now been met: a safe place where we can offer
help to people who need it so badly. Where a handful of people cannot ruin
things for a larger group," said Red Cross director Harm Goossens.
Goossens
described the office building as a much more humane environment than a large
field where people sit outside all day. However, he called the solution
temporary. "We must not forget that this does not create new reception
places."
Minister
Van den Brink acknowledged the measures as temporary and stressed the need for
broader solutions. He said those causing nuisance are putting public support
for asylum reception under pressure and must be dealt with firmly.
"These
measures do not solve the underlying problems. Therefore, I want to emphasize
once again that the situation in Ter Apel is urgent and critical, and I call on
all municipalities once more to offer locations for emergency reception," Van den Brink wrote
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