The Netherlands’ asylum registration center in Ter Apel is again operating above its official capacity, hosting 2,170 asylum seekers. This marks the highest number since October 2024. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has activated emergency measures, deploying additional reception locations that were previously scheduled to close.
All reception centers across the Netherlands are reportedly full, forcing COA to exceed the center’s maximum capacity of 2,000. Temporary solutions—including continued use of locations in Hardenberg, Epe, and Harderwijk—are being implemented structurally to manage the overflow. Since the closure of crisis shelters, Ter Apel has struggled to maintain occupancy limits. Over the past week alone, the center’s population increased by 136 people, leaving it overcrowded.
Overcapacity carries financial consequences. In October 2024, a court ruled that COA must pay €50,000 per day for exceeding limits, culminating in a €5 million payment to the municipality of Westerwolde. Authorities have warned that continued breaches could trigger further steps.
In 2024, two Tunisian asylum seekers were attacked in Ter Apel. Described as “visibly homosexual,” the men were beaten, threatened, and stabbed by a group of attackers. Police confirmed video footage shows six perpetrators, and one underage Algerian asylum seeker was since apprehended.
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