Asylum seekers' center uninhabitable for longer period after fire, residents relocated

The 284 residents of the asylum seekers' center in Middelburg, where a fire raged on Saturday, will be relocated to other locations for a longer time.

The building is completely uninhabitable and it is estimated to take several weeks to possibly a few months, a spokesman for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) said on Sunday.

The construction of the building has not been affected, but it is uninhabitable as a result of the fire and extinguishing activities. A place has since been found elsewhere for all residents, spread across several locations throughout the country.

The residents will be allowed into the building on Sunday to collect their belongings. In the afternoon, they will be transferred by buses to their new shelter.

On Saturday, two residents of the asylum seekers' center were arrested in connection with the fire. The two men, a 22- and 28-year-old, were arrested on suspicion of arson and were interrogated by the police.

An investigation is also underway into the circumstances leading up to the fire. The two men are still in custody. "There will be a forensic investigation, possibly Sunday," a police spokesperson said on Sunday

The fire broke out around 07:50 a.m. on Saturday and started on the fourth floor of the shelter on Laurens Stommesweg. Eight people suffered minor injuries from the fire, which was under control around 4 p.m.