The Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ) is once again concerned about the situation in the registration center in Ter Apel and especially about the circumstances of unaccompanied minor foreigners (AMVs). Their physical and emotional safety cannot be guaranteed, the IGJ states in a letter to ‘all parties that can take responsibility for the reception of asylum seekers’.
In this letter, the IGJ points out that the lower limit of proper reception has long been reached for both asylum seekers and employees. According to the inspection, the persistent crowds and the lack of options pose risks to the safety of residents and employees.
According to the IGJ, many more unaccompanied minors are staying at the registration center in Ter Apel than the 55 for which there is official capacity. Last week there were 270, but earlier in October it was up to 370. There is capacity to supervise 120 unaccompanied minors. They often have to wait too long for a medical intake and it is not always possible to assign them a guardian within five days. It has not been possible to get more places for unaccompanied minors at municipalities.
The IGJ is not only concerned about the unaccompanied minors. According to the inspection, the registration center in Ter Apel has again been under great pressure in recent weeks and there are many more people staying than the two thousand there is actually room for. This means that you spend the night in the IND waiting rooms and in the recreation room of the COA. Although the registration center employees currently have a better view of the most vulnerable asylum seekers, the medical intake and screening for tuberculosis remain postponed. According to the IGJ, this is a serious risk for individual asylum seekers and late tuberculosis screening is also a risk to public health in the Netherlands.
load more
