Not enough reception centre places and unsafe situation in Ter Apel

Published at: 14/12/2023, 00:00

Right now there are too many people at the refugee application centre in Ter Apel. There are not enough reception centre places and the situation is poor. You may have to go to another location because of this. Read here how that works.

Many people slept in IND waiting rooms

In the Ter Apel application location of the

Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)

there are too few reception centre places. As a result, many people were sleeping in the waiting rooms of the

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)

. As of now, people are not allowed to sleep in the waiting rooms and COA has to arrange another place for you.

Due to the shortage of places, living conditions in Ter Apel are poor. There are not beds or enough bathrooms for everyone. Speaking to the

NOS

, the State Secretary for Justice and Security said that 4,000 to 5,000 more reception centre places need to be added quickly throughout the Netherlands

. Only then can the Netherlands give refugees back the reception centre places they should receive.

You may not travel to another reception centre by yourself

COA may take you from Ter Apel to another reception centre. You will stay there temporarily until you are properly registered in Ter Apel. Sometimes you have to return to Ter Apel to register. COA arranges your transport to and from Ter Apel. They will explain to you when and how you will travel to or from Ter Apel.

Do not travel independently to another location because the IND will then not know where you are and your registration in Ter Apel may be slower or not go well.

The IND hands out coloured wristbands that indicate the registration phase of your asylum application

If you have just arrived in Ter Apel, report to the IND for registration of data, such as citizenship and identity. The IND then knows that you have registered in Ter Apel and that you want to start your asylum procedure.

After this registration with the IND, you will receive a letter explaining your procedure and a wristband. This letter explains how the procedure will continue for you. The coloured wristband accompanies your letter. This way, employees in Ter Apel or another reception centre can see which procedure applies to you without having to read your letter.

Depending on your situation, you will be given explanations about your whereabouts and the rest of your asylum procedure.

The asylum procedure

On this page you can read what the conditions for an asylum permit are and how the asylum procedure works in the Netherlands.

More information

Here is what you can do if you are unhappy with the reception centre

On this page you can read about what you can do if you are dissatisfied with COA's reception centre. For example, you can talk to COA or the municipality, complain or protest.