Urgent letter from Inspectorates calls for immediate intervention to improve safety and development of asylum children in Dutch reception centres

The reception of asylum children is still below standard and the safety and development of children in Dutch asylum reception is at risk. Four inspectorates call on Secretary of State Eric van der Burg of Asiel in an urgent letter to intervene immediately.

It is the first time that four inspections joint raise the alarm about the situation of asylum children in Dutch reception centres. These are the Inspectorate of Justice and Security, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate, the Education Inspectorate and the Dutch Labor Inspectorate.

In the past year, Van der Burg has already received several fire letters from separate inspections or from two inspections together. “Almost one year after the first urgent letter, the situation for asylum seekers has not yet improved”, they now conclude together on the basis of research at four emergency reception locations, nine crisis emergency reception locations and the reception location for unaccompanied minors in Ter Apel.

The children lack proper education and adequate guidance. There is also too little insight into their safety and health. It is not due to the efforts of the staff: that “does what it can”, is stated in the urgent letter. But the long waiting lists and the lack of good reception locations have major consequences for the asylum children. There is too little privacy in the emergency shelter, they cannot go to school and they are not checked for infectious diseases.

Some reception locations are also unsafe because the atmosphere has changed due to the long wait. “The inspectors do not consider it responsible to expose children to these substandard quality standards for a long period of time.”

The shelter must comply with the applicable European and Dutch rules as soon as possible, according to the inspectorate.

State Secretary Van der Burg acknowledges in a written response that the temporary shelter “does not meet the requirements that we should meet on all points”. He says that “hard work is being done” to arrange enough permanent shelters.