Amsterdam adds 230 asylum shelter spots; Hundreds attend solidarity protest in Utrecht

Amsterdam said Thursday it will add 230 asylum seeker places in existing shelters for six months as pressure intensifies at the overcrowded registration center in Ter Apel, while hundreds gathered at Utrecht’s Domplein at about 6:30 p.m. for a peaceful solidarity demonstration, RTV Utrecht reports.

At Ter Apel, it remained unclear Thursday evening whether the immediate shelter shortage would be resolved with the Amsterdam offer. A spokesperson for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) said it is still being determined how many spots in Amsterdam will actually become available and which individuals from Ter Apel could be transferred. “No one is on the way to Amsterdam yet,” the COA told the ANP reporter in Ter Apel.

Many people there are forced to sit outside due to overcrowding. On Thursday evening, the Red Cross distributed dinner, with a spokesperson confirming that at least 100 meals had been provided for people sitting on the grass outside the center.

Red Cross director Harm Goossens, who was present, warned the situation was nearing the point where people could be forced to sleep outside, saying: “We really need more places in the short term. I have full confidence that this is possible. We are a civilized country; we should be able to solve this issue together.”

In Utrecht, hundreds of people filled the Domplein square for a demonstration in support of asylum seekers. The gathering, observed by an ANP reporter, remained calm and orderly. The protest was organized by De Straat Op, a coalition including DeGoedeZaak, Extinction Rebellion (XR), and the Dolle Mina’s. According to organizers, the demonstration was intended as a response to “the far-right violence of recent weeks” and to offer an alternative message.

Some participants carried Palestinian flags and XR banners. Earlier anti-asylum protests, including in Loosdrecht, escalated into arson, vandalism, and incidents involving stones and heavy fireworks.

Demonstrators said they were taking to the streets to show solidarity and support for refugees. “We stand next to our neighbors, whether they have fled or always lived here,” an ANP reporter was told.