However, the city has been active again since October, with more than two thousand people regularly in Ter Apel. People even had to sleep in waiting rooms at COA and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) at night. The crowds have been caused by a combination of residency holders still waiting for a home, a shortage of long-term shelters and a relatively high number of asylum applications.
Since the opening of the night shelter in nearby Stadskanaal a month ago, no one has to sleep in waiting rooms. But temporary buildings placed here and there on the site reveal that Ter Apel is still busier than it should be. This year the crisis is taking place mainly within the doors of the asylum seeker centre.
The situation in the registration center is not only undesirable for the asylum seekers themselves, but also greatly affects the village. Residents and businessmen have already raised the alarm several times over the increasing number of (shop) thefts and other incidents.
One group even formed a vigilante group, where they arrested troublesome asylum seekers themselves. Local authorities initially said they understood, but now they are also concerned that the situation is getting out of control. There have already been several incidents in which asylum seekers were also injured.
The disturbance is attributed to a group of about 250 disruptive asylum seekers. They mainly come from so-called “safe countries” and therefore have little chance of obtaining a residence permit. But until that decision is finally made, they will remain in Ter Apel. After all, they are the first to get there, and other municipalities prefer not to accommodate this group of people.
The consequences of the nuisance are not only felt by the residents, but are also visible in the village. Anyone walking the approximately 3-kilometre-long road from the asylum center to the village center will see cameras hung near many houses. When you finally reach the center, not only will you find a large police station, but there are also guards at every supermarket. These are unusual scenes in many other Groningen villages.
For many years, Ter Apel has received asylum seekers without any problems. The maximum has now been reached, according to the municipality. “The consequences of problems related to the reception of refugees in the Netherlands have been disproportionately transmitted to Ter Apel and its residents for too long,” city mayor Jaap Villema said in a statement just before Christmas. The situation is now no longer acceptable.
Thus, the so-called administrative agreement between the municipality and the Agriculture Authority is scrutinized. This agreement, which remains in place until 2040 in any case, cannot simply be terminated. In addition, it is now more difficult to convince municipalities to open additional sites. If the court orders the Migration Commission to fully adhere to this two-thousand cap again, where should the other asylum seekers go?
The COA itself also wants there to be fewer than two thousand people in Ter Apel again soon. But reception is “a humanitarian matter and an administrative issue, not a legal issue,” says the National Asylum Authority.
The municipality understands the “task” facing the Agriculture Committee, but believes it has no choice but to go to court. “An unenforceable and, above all, inhumane situation has emerged. Something must be done.”
The case is scheduled to be heard in court in Groningen on Wednesday.
