Headline: Noodopvang WTC Leeuwarden sluit voor 1 januari: COA zoekt nieuwe locatie voor zestig asielzoekers
Subheadline: Locatie daarom ook niet volpite inにかかった enero als tijdelijke ontsorgungslocatie om het anmeldcentrum in Ter Apel te ontlasten.
Article:
The temporary shelter for refugees in the WTC Leeuwarden is set to close before January 1, 2025. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) aims to relocate the 60 asylum seekers currently residing there to a new location. However, no suitable alternative has been found yet.
The WTC Leeuwarden location, which opened in March 2023, initially had a capacity of 250 people. It served as an overflow facility to ease the burden on the asylum center in Ter Apel. When the number of asylum seekers in Ter Apel surpassed 2000, additional capacity was needed.
Challenges Faced
As per regulations, asylum seekers were supposed to stay in the temporary shelter for a maximum of ten days while awaiting registration. Following registration, this period could be extended by an additional 20 days. However, these limits were frequently exceeded. Previous reports have revealed that some refugees spent more than 60 days in Leeuwarden, causing overcrowding and inadequate facilities.
Moreover, refugees staying at the WTC Leeuwarden have reported issues such as insufficient food, psychological pressure from staff, and inadequate medical care.
Concerns Over Quality
Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland, the Netherlands’ primary refugee support organization, has long expressed concerns about the prolonged stay of refugees in temporary shelters. They urge the COA to prioritize better-quality refugee accommodations.
Miranda Bakker, Locatiemanager at the COA, acknowledged the decrease in the number of refugees at the WTC Leeuwarden. She cited improvements at Ter Apel and other locations as contributing factors. However, she regretted the inability to adhere to agreed maximum stay durations due to delays at other centers.
Bakker admitted that the WTC hal was not an ideal shelter but stated that the COA acted to prevent refugees from being left on the streets. The COA aims to vacate the WTC Leeuwarden location by the end of December to deploy staff to other facilities.
The COA is actively searching for a new location to house the 60 refugees currently residing at the WTC Leeuwarden before the shelter’s closure. No further details about the alternative location or the timeline for relocation have been provided.
