First asylum seekers transferred from Turkey to Netherlands

The first Syrian asylum seekers from Turkish refugee camps were flown to the Netherlands on Tuesday morning. The 31 people were transferred to a Dutch asylum center to await housing, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Security and Justice said to news wire ANP.

On Monday it was announced that 34 Syrian asylum seekers would be the first to come from Turkey to the Netherlands following the asylum agreement the EU made with the country. According to the Ministry, three of the 34 could not come over immediately due to practical reasons.

The Ministry would not comment on which asylum center the new arrivals are staying at, in order to protect the privacy of those involved. The spokesperson would also not comment on the composition of the group, only stating that they are considered vulnerable due to, for example, health reasons.

The asylum agreement between Turkey and the European Union took effect on Monday. That same morning 32 Syrian asylum seekers were flown to Germany and 11 to Finland.