Dutch Safety Board investigating children's safety in asylum shelters

The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) has launched an exploratory investigation into whether children are safe in the Dutch asylum chain. “We understand that this is a very complex problem, but that must not stand in the way of offering minimal safety to the most vulnerable group: children,” said OVV chairman Chris van Dam.

The Netherlands has a structural shortage of shelter spaces for asylum seekers, leading to overcrowded shelters, people spending months in “emergency shelters” often consisting of nothing more than a stretcher in a sports hall, and unsafe situations, especially for children. “The Security Council has been following this subject for some time. There are constant concerns about the safety situation in and around the reception locations,” Van Dam said.

The Children’s Ombudsman, Margrite Kalverboer, has raised the alarm about children’s safety in Dutch shelters multiple times, warning that children are neglected and their fundamental rights violated. She also called the emergency shelters “degrading” in a report written with the National Ombudsman, Reinier van Zutphen.

In 2022, a Dutch court ordered the government to get children out of emergency shelters as quickly as possible due to concerns for their development, health, and safety. Almost a year after that ruling, UNICEF reported that there were still more children staying in the emergency shelters.

The Education Inspectorate, Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate, and the Justice and Security Inspectorate have also raised concerns about the safety of children in the Dutch asylum shelters. Last year, the Netherlands dropped 16 spots on the Kids Rights ranking partly due to the situation in the asylum system.

The OVV will have exploratory discussions with various parties involved to see if an in-depth investigation “can have added value,” Van Dam said.