Asylum seekers housed in fmr. prison

A former juvenile prison in Overloon, Noord Brabant, is being converted into a refugee centre capable of housing 800 asylum seekers. The first residents are expected in June, reports broadcaster Omroep Brabant. Residents in Overloon, Boxmeer, Sint Anthonis and Stevensbeek are being notified by letters sent out this week. Those living closest to the facility will also regularly receive a newsletter keeping them informed about the centre. It is the second prison scheduled to be rehabilitated into a shelter. Both announcements were made this month by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). A juvenile detention centre in Overberg, Utrecht, is being turned into a refugee centre for up to 400 young people. The Netherlands typically receives 1,000 asylum seekers every month, but that number has skyrocketed recently to 1,000 people weekly, according to Security and Justice Secretary Fred Teeven. Teeven is concerned that a large percentage of the increase is due to a human trafficking operation.