Fights erupt at Ter Apel asylum centre on first night without Red Cross support
Multiple fights broke out on the forecourt of the Ter Apel registration centre on the evening of 11 July, hours after the Red Cross and Vluchtelingenwerk halted aid due to spiralling violence.
Aid groups pull out amid safety fears
The Red Cross and Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland ceased all assistance for asylum seekers waiting at the Ter Apel centre on the evening of 10 July. The decision followed two stabbing incidents on 7 and 8 July near the forecourt, which the groups said made it impossible to guarantee the safety of aid workers and those receiving help. Since 20 May, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has operated a controlled access policy: once the centre's 2,100 beds are full, routinely reached, new arrivals must wait outside, with priority given to women, children and families. The two organisations had been providing water, meals, shelter and phone-charging facilities from a white tent for up to 100 people daily.
My people were no longer safe.
First night without humanitarian support sees multiple fights
On the evening of 11 July, the first without the aid groups, reporters witnessed several scuffles and physical altercations. A small group of men repeatedly sought confrontation with each other and with asylum seekers from the centre. Security guards intervened in some but not all cases; four police cars and an ambulance arrived after one brawl. Beer bottles were smashed during the disturbances but no injuries were reported, and no arrests were made. Around 8:30 p.m., a man fell ill at the entrance, received first aid from security and was taken away by ambulance.
- COA introduces controlled access; new arrivals wait outside when 2,100 beds are full.
- First stabbing incident near the forecourt.
- Second stabbing incident; a planned ministerial visit is rescheduled.
- Red Cross and Vluchtelingenwerk halt all aid and leave the forecourt.
- First night without aid. Multiple fights, broken beer bottles, a medical emergency; police attend but no arrests.
Persistent security problems driven by a core group of men
Mayor Jaap Velema of Westerwolde described a long-standing hard core of around 200 mainly Moroccan and Tunisian men who steal, intimidate and trade stolen goods. He said they arrived during the 2015–2016 influx of Syrian refugees and now use the asylum system to move between centres, sometimes visiting Ter Apel on weekends. The municipality has repeatedly warned successive ministers about the group.
We see a pulling effect. Boys from other reception locations come to Ter Apel for a weekend.
Political and community responses
The municipality of Westerwolde called the withdrawal a demonstration of how serious the problems had become and urged the national government to create more reception places elsewhere. Red Cross director Harm Goossens said it was embarrassing that a country of 18 million people could not safely accommodate 40 to 100 individuals. He appealed to all municipalities to step forward with emergency shelters. Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink had visited earlier in the week and observed the police being forced to clear the forecourt. Another aid organisation, MiGreat, remained present but stressed that authorities must take responsibility.
It concerns between 40 and 100 people in a country of 18 million, and that we cannot solve this is an embarrassing situation.
Temporary shelter provides some relief
A night shelter in Nieuwe Pekela, set up for those denied a place in Ter Apel, accommodated 53 people on the night of 11 to 12 July. The facility is scheduled to operate until 1 October. With temperatures set to exceed 30°C the following week, the loss of the Red Cross's tents, water and meals is expected to worsen conditions for those left outside the centre.
