Overview
- On the night of Thursday to Friday, twenty adult asylum seekers slept in the grass outside the Ter Apel registration centre because there were no indoor places available.
- The Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers (COA) has warned of an acute shortfall of hundreds of reception places and says the backlog is caused by thousands of status holders who cannot find permanent housing.
- Day shelter limits and IND registration rules restrict transfers to night facilities, with the on-site day centre holding a maximum of 150 people and unregistered arrivals ineligible for some night shelters.
- The government has placed dozens of municipalities under intensified supervision and pushed for rapid municipal locations, while short-term sites in Beilen, Warffum and Zuidwolde are being expanded but are expected to fill quickly.
- Volunteers and aid groups stepped in to help on the ground, yet NGOs warn these measures are temporary and say only structural solutions to housing and distribution will prevent further nights with people forced to sleep outdoors.