Police clear protest against asylum center in The Hague’s Vogelwijk

Police used charges and batons Saturday during a demonstration against the planned arrival of asylum seekers at a former hospital in the Vogelwijk neighborhood. Dozens of protesters who refused to leave after an eviction order were pushed from the street, according to an ANP correspondent on the scene. Officers later pursued remaining protesters into the neighborhood. The city administration had designated the area around Sportlaan as a safety risk zone.

Many demonstrators were reportedly young men dressed in dark clothing and caps. Around 2 p.m., a group attempted to reach the building, toppling a fence in the process.

The former hospital on Sportlaan currently serves as winter shelter for about 80 homeless people. In the coming quarter, other groups—including asylum seekers, recognized refugees, youth, and homeless families—will move in gradually. Eventually, roughly 750 temporary residents are expected to live there. Protesters opposed the potential arrival of asylum seekers, displaying a banner reading: “Azc, nee! Seniorenwoning Ja!” (“Asylum center, no! Senior housing, yes!”).

The demonstrators described the initiative as a “dangerous social experiment." The protest announcement referenced a “similar experiment in Amsterdam” that they said “completely failed.” At that project, Stek Oost, where recognized refugees and first-time home buyers lived together, multiple violent and sexual offenses occurred over recent years.

A spokesperson for The Hague Alderman Mariëlle Vavier said the situation on Sportlaan is “completely different” from Amsterdam. She explained that at Stek Oost, students acted as buddies for the recognized refugees, which is not the case in The Hague. Additionally, the various groups at Sportlaan will have separate housing units, and the site is much larger. “It is just like in a big city, where different people live next to each other,” she said.