The municipality of Westerwolde will apply to the court to reduce the number of asylum seekers in the Ter Apel reception center to a maximum of 2,000. “We have reached a point where the situation is no longer acceptable and legal action must be taken,” Mayor Velema told EenVandaag.
For some time now, the number of refugees in Ter Apel has been higher than the maximum number of 2,000 agreed with the Central Office for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) in 2010. Currently this number is 2,200. Exceeding this limit will cause problems inside and outside the center.
Harassment in the village
“The situation of the last few months has been very important,” says Velema. He cites a report by the Security and Justice Inspectorate earlier this month. According to the investigation, in some cases asylum seekers spent the night in waiting areas where they could not immediately escape in case of fire. Crowding in the center also leads to social distrust and violence.
Refugees also cause problems in Ter Apel village. Business owners complain of theft, threats and intimidating behavior. According to entrepreneurs, nearly two hundred refugees are responsible for this situation.
The municipality had previously instructed the COA to reduce the population to 2,000. Since this is not the case yet, the municipality is taking urgent action. This will happen on January 10th.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
