Public transport staff sounds the alarm about nuisance asylum seekers: ‘Every day between Emmen and Zwolle’ Inland

“At the moment it is a daily hit on the Vechtdallijn between Emmen and Zwolle,” says Wim Eilert on behalf of the Trade Union of Machinists and Conductors (VVMC). “Now that there is a large influx of asylum seekers to the Netherlands, we unfortunately also see a peak in violence on the train. It mainly concerns foreign nationals from safe countries who cause problems.”

According to the driver, this includes intimidation, name-calling, spitting and physical violence against the foreigners. “You have to think of people who throw stones but also give serious blows to staff,” he knows. “The problems mainly arise during the ticket check, because they do not have a valid ticket.” The VVMC has no figures on the number of declarations that have been made.

‘Warp and weft’

FNV director Edwin Kuiper also recognizes the problem: “It’s really commonplace now. Three employees on the train connection have been put on sick leave because they were confronted with serious violence and fights. That is of course totally unacceptable.”

Staff say that it often concerns people who are bored in Ter Apel and therefore look for entertainment elsewhere in the country, he says. “They then try to travel from the village by bus and train without a ticket, and then look for a coffee shop in the city, for example. It concerns people who are bored to death and choose to cause serious nuisance.”

Special shuttle bus

“You have also seen more problems recently on the special shuttle bus that is used for asylum seekers between the station in Emmen and Ter Apel,” says Kuiper. “There have been incidents where windows of the bus have been smashed by asylum seekers. Drivers sometimes choose eggs for their money, because they don’t want to be beaten up.”

The municipality of Westerwolde, which Ter Apel falls under, says when asked that it does not currently see an increase in nuisance on the bus in the municipality.

Boas on the train

Wim Eilert believes that measures are needed for the Vecht valley line. “To increase safety on the train, boas on the train should be used,” says Eilert. “The staff wants a safe working environment. The way it is now, it absolutely cannot go on any longer.”

A spokesperson for Arriva notes that there is a growing number of incidents on the train. The spokesman says he has no overview of how often asylum seekers are responsible for the serious nuisance.

‘General sense of insecurity’

The spokesperson does want to say that this concerns unacceptable behavior, which Arriva does not tolerate. “The general feeling of insecurity among our colleagues is not getting any better due to the increase in incidents.”

Arriva is in talks with the province, municipalities, police and trade unions to tackle the problem. “There is no simple solution to this problem,” says the spokesman. “Before the autumn holidays, an administrative consultation was held with all parties involved, which will be followed up shortly.”

–