Dutch gov't overnight shelter for undocumented people overrun with mold and rot

The Dutch government’s shelter in Ter Apel, intended for people not allowed to stay in the Netherlands, is overrun with mold and rot, residents told Trouw. This is significant given that the government sees this facility as the alternative to the “bed, bath, and bread” shelters in five large Dutch cities, for which the government cut funding some time ago.

Residents of the “restricted freedom facility” (VBL) in Ter Apel told Trouw that the shelter is in a deplorable state, speaking of moldy walls, rotting sanitary facilities, damaged kitchens, clogged ventilation shafts, and faulty electrical systems. The newspaper also obtained around 100 photographs that illustrate the facility’s state. One resident described the situation as “sickening,” referring to mold, rotting floors, and “a total lack of maintenance.”

The conditions at the Ter Apel VBL are significant, as the facility plays a central role in a long-standing legal battle regarding the “bed, bath, and bread” shelter system provided in five large cities for people who have no legal right to reside in the Netherlands. Former Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber (PVV) scrapped funding for these shelters because the Schoof I Cabinet wanted to prioritize “return rather than shelter.” Her successor, Bart van den Brink, kept this policy, but added that people would not end up homeless because they can stay at the VBL.

The legal battle continues before the Council of State on Tuesday. Lower courts had previously ruled that the government can’t cut funding for bed, bath, and bread shelters, because it was not doing enough to prevent individuals from becoming homeless and ending up in “inhumane” conditions. The Cabinet appealed against these rulings. So far, the conditions within the VBL were unknown and did not play a role in the rulings.

The VBL is a small part of the much larger asylum registration complex in Ter Apel, run by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). The COA describes the VBL accommodation as “basic but adequate” and more austere than other locations.

A spokesperson for the COA told Trouw that the agency is aware of the conditions at the VBL, attributing the problems to “deferred maintenance” and the “various factors” at play at the registration center.

According ot the COA, proper maintenance is “hindered” by the immense pressure on the Ter Apel asylum registration center, which has long been housing more people than its capacity. The housing units in the VBL are not only used for individuals preparing to leave the country, but also for short-term accommodation for asylum seekers for whom there is no space elsewhere in the complex.

‘We are dealing with a high turnover of residents, as well as a very diverse group of occupants. Not everyone keeps their living space clean, and there is a great deal of damage caused to our housing units,’ the COA said.