EMERCENCY AID TER APEL
Emergency Aid Ter Apel
The uptake of people on the move has reached a crisis point. There are not enough accommodation spaces, and this is also evident at the registration centre in Ter Apel. Since people want and need to register with the IND in Ter Apel, they all pass through here. In the summer of 2022, people had to wait outside for hours and sleep outside without any form of shelter.
The various authorities pointed fingers at each other and did not take responsibility for the situation in the field. The COA, responsible for accommodating and providing the basic needs of all asylum seekers, was not present in the field. Food and drink were thrown over the fence, and access to medical care was non-existent. The municipality of Westerwolde also did not provide any assistance. They confiscated tents from people who had to sleep outside and imposed a three-month prison sentence for distributing tents and camping equipment.
MiGreat was working in Ter Apel from the start of the crisis until the beginning of 2024 with a fantastic team of about 25 volunteers. We started a weekly supply collection drive to support those who were forced to sleep outside the reception centre. The supplies collected included camping equipment, blankets, tents, hygiene supplies (such as toothbrushes and shampoo), and clothing. The collected items were vital, too, at the European borders. For instance, in 2022, we sent hundreds of tents and other useful supplies to Mobile Refugee Support in Dunkirk and to Kompas 071 in Sarajevo.
The uptake of people on the move has reached a crisis point. There are not enough accommodation spaces, and this is also evident at the registration centre in Ter Apel. Since people want and need to register with the IND in Ter Apel, they all pass through here. In the summer of 2022, people had to wait outside for hours and sleep outside without any form of shelter.
The various authorities pointed fingers at each other and did not take responsibility for the situation in the field. The COA, responsible for accommodating and providing the basic needs of all asylum seekers, was not present in the field. Food and drink were thrown over the fence, and access to medical care was non-existent. The municipality of Westerwolde also did not provide any assistance. They confiscated tents from people who had to sleep outside and imposed a three-month prison sentence for distributing tents and camping equipment.
MiGreat was working in Ter Apel from the start of the crisis until the beginning of 2024 with a fantastic team of about 25 volunteers. We started a weekly supply collection drive to support those who were forced to sleep outside the reception centre. The supplies collected included camping equipment, blankets, tents, hygiene supplies (such as toothbrushes and shampoo), and clothing. The collected items were vital, too, at the European borders. For instance, in 2022, we sent hundreds of tents and other useful supplies to Mobile Refugee Support in Dunkirk and to Kompas 071 in Sarajevo.