The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and refugee organizations are concerned about the relatively high numbers of drownings among asylum seekers in recreational water, reports The Telegraph. The newspaper says that three residents of an AZC did not survive a swim in the past month.
Attempts have been made to reduce the number of drownings for some time, especially among young non-western foreigners. from CBS figures it appears that drowning mortality among this group is more than seven times higher than among teenagers with a Dutch background.
Little time for a swimming certificate
To reduce drowning is one this spring action plan prepared by the COA and the National Swimming Safety Council. It states that information must be improved and that asylum seekers must participate in swimming lessons more often. We are also looking into whether a special certificate can be obtained, because children often stay too short in an asylum seekers’ center to be able to obtain the A swimming diploma.
De Telegraaf writes that Reddingsbrigade Nederland hanged posters in Arabic next to bathing water this week. Something needs to be done quickly, the refugee organizations say. “It is now high time for concrete results. We hope that these will be visible this summer so that new dramas can be prevented,” Vluchtelingenwerk reports in De Telegraaf.
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