Baby dies at Ter Apel asylum center; Authorities call it accidental
A 10-month-old baby died Thursday at the Ter Apel asylum seekers reception center in Westerwolde, authorities confirmed. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service said there will be no criminal investigation. “Investigation on site and statements from those involved have clearly shown that this was a fatal accident,” the spokesperson said.
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), the mayor of Westerwolde, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate, and the Justice and Security Inspectorate all verified the death but declined to provide details, DVHN reports.
This is the second infant death at the Ter Apel center in recent years. On August 24, 2022, another baby died while staying with their mother in a sports hall on the center’s grounds. At that time, hundreds of asylum seekers were sleeping outside due to overcrowding, and the facility was not equipped for infants.
