No space for over 100 at Ter Apel, forcing overnight shelter in Groningen
About 105 asylum seekers returned to the reception center in Ter Apel at 8:40 a.m. on Sunday after spending the night at a temporary shelter at the Hanze Plaza conference center on Protonstraat in Groningen, RTV Noord reports. Two buses transported them there after 9:00 p.m. due to severe overcrowding at the reception facility in Ter Apel.
The situation in Ter Apel has been strained since Wednesday, when authorities stopped admitting everyone due to a lack of space. The Red Cross describes the situation as “inhumane,” NOS reports.
Priority is being given to the asylum seekers considered most vulnerable, while others are left waiting outside. On Thursday night, an ANP reporter observed hundreds of asylum seekers having to spend all their time on the grass outside the reception center due to serious overcrowding.
The shelter at Hanze Plaza had been set up on Saturday afternoon with 175 beds and remains available through Monday. The facility was designated following a request from asylum minister Bart van den Brink, which was received by Groningen mayor Roelien Kamminga.
In previous nights, people who could not be accommodated in Ter Apel were transported to nearby municipalities, including Gieten and Stadskanaal, for temporary shelter.
_01.jpg){kind=link}