Tuesday, 15 September 2015 - 10:21
Asylum seekers stranded at Amsterdam train station sent to refugee center
The Amsterdam police is going to use a bus to transport asylum seekers who got stranded at Amsterdam Central Station to Ter Apel.
Upon arrival in the Netherlands, asylum seekers are handed a document which states that they have to report to Ter Apel for registration. Over the past few days a number of refugees ended up having to sleep at Amsterdam Central Station because they missed the last train to the asylum center.
"It also involves children and vulnerable people. An undesirable situation for the Amsterdam police. These people have traveled for weeks, sometimes months, and should not be sleeping in the open air." a police spokesperson said to broadcaster NOS. "We see what is needed from day to day. If asylum seekers get stranded, we will deploy a bus to get them to Ter Apel."
On Monday afternoon the police assisted a few dozen asylum seekers on their way to the application center, NU reports. Officers helped he refugees get a train ticket and made sure they got onto the right train.
This problem is not isolated to Amsterdam. Las week the municipality of Emmen also took measures to make sure that asylum seekers do not have to spend the night on a station. If refugees miss the last bus to Ter Apel, the municipality arranges a taxi to take them there.