Polish man died lonely in a tent near Kralingse Bos

On the evening of Sunday, January 15, a body is found in a tent on the edge of the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam. It turns out to be a 32-year-old man from Poland. He died a natural, but lonely death.

The regional broadcaster Rijnmond went looking for the background. How can a man end up so lonely in a tent, in a rich country full of aid agencies and shelters?

The blue tent is hidden in the bushes between the edge of the forest and the track. Due to the lack of vegetation in winter, it now stands out even more. The tent was the house of the Pole, but sometimes also of others. Under the blue sail is a battery for power, just like a pan with pasta. Branded sneakers are neatly placed against the inside of the tent, as if the resident could return at any moment.

Fieldworker Ineke Bergsma of the Meeting Foundation crouches in front of the tent. The zipper is closed, so she introduces herself in Dutch and Polish just to be on the safe side. No reaction. Bergsma has extensive experience with ‘outdoor sleepers’. She is familiar with this place and knows who the man who died here was. She also knows that sometimes other people stay here.

“The number of outdoor sleepers has risen sharply in recent years. We know of 150 to 200 people by name who sleep on the street, in tents and porches. Most of the outdoor sleepers are of European origin, such as Polish migrant workers,” says Bergsma.

Postman Ahmed Abdillahi cycles past the tent every day on his way to the postal sorting centre. He is shocked when he hears that the resident has died. For the first time he walks into the bushes and takes a closer look at the tent.

“It is terrible that this can happen in the Netherlands. We only know this from the images of refugee camps. You would not wish this on anyone,” said Abdillahi. “And to think that there are enough agencies that shelter homeless people in the winter.”

In Rotterdam, as in many other municipalities in the Netherlands, a winter regulation applies for the homeless. An extra shelter opens when the perceived temperature drops below freezing. People from Poland, for example, who are not entitled to regular shelter can also go to this winter shelter.

But that was not a solution for this man, says field worker Bergsma. He might be allowed, but he didn’t want to go to the shelter. “We often see that the winter shelter is avoided. It is a large room with many beds and associated stimuli. Some therefore choose to sleep outside.”

And so it happened that the 32-year-old man died on Sunday evening. Whether and where he worked is unknown until now. Bergsma tries to get in touch with his family to tell them what happened at the edge of the forest.