Skip to main content
Netherlands News in English

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Tilburg Central Station
Tilburg Central Station - Credit: G.Lanting / Wikimedia Commons - License: CC-BY
1-1-2
Tilburg
police
NS
Tilburg Central Station
child asylum seeker
unaccompanied children
Monday, 20 September 2021 - 10:45

Share this article:

Syrian boy found all alone at Tilburg train station

NS Security Service employees found a 13-year-old boy from Syria all alone at Tilburg station on Sunday evening. The clearly frightened child said that he had traveled to the Netherlands from Syria all by himself, the NS workers said on Facebook.

"During our shift, we were standing at the Albert Heijn To Go when a little boy walked up to us. He began to cry into one of our arms. We asked him what was going on, but unfortunately we couldn't make contact because of language barrier," the employees said. They found a passerby who spoke Arabic and through her found out that the child was 13 years old and had come to the Netherlands from Syria alone.

"The little boy seemed scared to us, so we tried to reassure him as best we could," the NS employees said. They got him something to eat and drink from the Albert Heijn. "After our little friend had finished his food and drink, he tapped one of us on the arm again. He took out his phone and opened the camera in selfie mode. He wanted to take a picture with us. Of course we did that with him."

Tilburg police officers came to get the boy and take him to shelter. According to the NS employees, the child had a document with his personal data with him. "We passed this on to colleagues from the police and the Koninklijke Marechaussee for further proceedings."

More like this

Image
Riot police
Explosion at future Den Bosch asylum shelter; Riot police again intervene in Apeldoorn
Image
Gidi Markuszower at an anti-asylum protest in Loosdrecht, 6 May 2026
Anti-asylum protesters block highway in Den Bosch; Right-wing MP's join Loosdrecht march
Image
Tilburg Central Station
Still no trains between Den Bosch and Tilburg, Boxtel after derailment
Image
Participants in the annual carnival parade in Oldenzaal, Netherlands. It is one of the largest in the country with 100,000 spectators.
Red Cross warns of cold weekend as Carnival set to kick off across the Netherlands
Make NL Times your top Google source

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Illegal cigarettes, snus widely available in Rotterdam convenience stores
  • State Secretary: action will be taken if Ye makes criminal remarks on stage
  • U.S. Embassy: Dutch World Cup fans can face long passport lines, social media checks
  • From Champions League surprise to relegation: Why Ajax chose Míchel as new manager
  • Lawmaker leaves Tweede Kamer for Amsterdam alderman role after mayoral bid disclosure

Top stories

  • U.S. Embassy: Dutch World Cup fans can face long passport lines, social media checks
  • Tata Steel drops new Sustainability Chief Pols over pro-apartheid past in South Africa
  • Waiting times of a year or longer at some Dutch hospitals as doctor shortage grows
  • Video: One killed, two hurt in stabbing at Heerhugowaard business
  • High energy prices push Dutch inflation to 3.5% in May

© 2012-2026, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Change Privacy Settings
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Partner Content