Dec 7, 2023 at 11:28 AM Update: an hour ago
Hygiene at the asylum seeker center in Ter Apel once again leaves much to be desired. Full waste bins, filthy toilets and dirty mattresses seem to be the norm, it appears inspection report from GGD Groningen. The situation is therefore “untenable”.
The hygiene in the waiting areas at the registration center for asylum seekers in Ter Apel is downright poor, the report shows. Inspectors from the GGD visited the asylum seekers’ center on Sunday at the request of the municipality of Westerwolde.
There they found full waste bins, dirty toilets and dirty mattresses in the waiting areas of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). There is also no possibility to wash and dry clothes.
Many asylum seekers are forced to spend the night in the waiting areas because the center itself is overcrowded. The maximum occupancy of Ter Apel is therefore exceeded by hundreds of people.
“The most basic requirements for shelter are not being met,” the inspectors write. The number and severity of incidents within the fences of the site is therefore increasing. But maintaining order and safety is
is not possible, which further increases the risk of serious incidents.
According to the report, 200 to 250 nuisance asylum seekers are involved in the incidents.
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Mayor Westerwolde ‘shocked and sad’
Asylum seekers who wait until they have been registered are not screened for diseases, the inspectors note. This only happens after they have been registered. “People staying close to each other and the few sanitary facilities can also pose a risk of illness.”
The inspectors recommend cleaning the sanitary areas better, cleaning the mattresses daily and urgently repairing the sewerage of one of the toilets.
Mayor Jaap Velema of Westerwolde was also present at the inspection. He says he is “shocked and saddened” by what he saw.
COA asks Red Cross for help
The COA has not yet received the report from the GGD, a spokesperson said. In the meantime, the pressure on the registration center remains high. On Tuesday it was announced that the municipalities of Stadskanaal and Groningen will temporarily receive asylum seekers to relieve the burden on Ter Apel, but according to the spokesperson, this is not a sustainable solution.
The Red Cross has been called in by the COA to supply, for example, showers, blankets and hygiene products for people in the waiting rooms.
2023-12-07 10:28:10
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