500 temporary placements arranged for asylum seekers; No one forced to sleep outside

Various municipalities and the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) managed to arrange temporary shelter placements for nearly 500 asylum seekers on Sunday. As a result, no one was forced to sleep outside overnight, the COA said on Twitter.

According to the COA, a handful of people chose to stay outside the asylum registration center in Ter Apel. The Red Cross arranged camp beds and sleeping bags for them.

The asylum seekers waiting to file their application in Ter Apel found space in crisis shelters in Zwolle, Doetinchem, Zuidbroek, Stadskanaal, Dordrecht, and Haaksbergen, NU.nl reports. Shelter spots were also found at six locations in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe via INLIA - a network that helps asylum seekers in need. Amsterdam and Doetinchem housed 125 unaccompanied minors.

The Red Cross initially placed 25 camp beds and sleeping bags at the registration center in Ter Apel, but only five turned out to be needed. There was still space in the center, so 20 people decided to sleep indoors.

The asylum registration center in Ter Apel has been overcrowded for months. Last week, some 700 people had to sleep outside multiple nights, a 3-month-old baby died, and two asylum seekers were rushed to a hospital for medical emergencies. Doctors without Borders started offering medical and psychological care in Ter Apel - the first time ever the aid organization has intervened in the Netherlands.

The government announced plans to improve the reception of asylum seekers on Friday. The plans include more money and more homes for refugees - asylum seekers with residency permits in the Netherlands. The Dutch housing shortage means refugees are stuck living in asylum centers, so their places can’t be used for new asylum seekers.