Earlier today, Unicef reported that there was already a threat of a shortage for next night, but the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and Van der Burg have announced that everyone has shelter tonight.
Young asylum seekers
Last year there was also a serious shortage of beds in the registration center in Ter Apel. Many nights people slept on chairs or in tents on the site. This was because, on the one hand, many asylum seekers are coming to the Netherlands, and on the other hand, the flow to regular asylum seeker centers in the country is stalling. This is because status holders, i.e. asylum seekers who have received a residence permit, cannot move on to their own homes due to the housing shortage.
Van der Burg sees another sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers. “September is the busiest month anyway.” The biggest problem is the situation of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (amvs), says the outgoing State Secretary. “The influx of unaccompanied minors is really exceptionally high. That is what we are looking for most of the time. And they are the most difficult to find.”
Sufficient shelter places still have to be arranged for tomorrow evening, Van der Burg said. “It is now literally again that you are looking 24, 48 hours ahead.”
The State Secretary told the COA today that when distributing beds, priority should be given to unaccompanied minors and parents with children. Asylum seekers without children and men traveling alone must sleep on chairs if necessary.
A number of reception locations will reopen on October 1, because the festival season is ending. Van der Burg hopes that this will relieve the current pressure.
2023-09-20 21:07:29
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