'Lively trade' in stolen goods at Delfzijl asylum center: report

There is a lively trade in stolen goods at the asylum center in Delfzijl, Dagblad van het Noorden reports based on its own research. Both the police and central agency for asylum reception in the Netherlands COA say there is no evidence of this.

According to th newspaper, asylum seekers from safe countries such as Morocco and Algeria often go out to commit robbery and then sell what they stole. The paper writes that it bought sports shoes for about 15 euros, an iPhone 6s for 60 euros and a bottle of Black Label Whiskey for 5 euros.

Other asylum seekers living in the center are tired of the stealing asylum seekers and their trade, Dagblad van het Noorden reports. But they feel the COA don't listen to their complaints. "They misuse their asylum status to rob. They misuse the Dutch hospitality. We also suffer from that", the newspaper quotes an asylum seeker.

Both the COA and the police told the newspaper that they have no hard evidence of any such trade. "We have a short line to the community police officers and if there were signs of such things we would tell them immediately", Jacqueline Engbers said on behalf of the COA.