The use of cruise ships as temporary accommodation centers in the Netherlands is discussed due to the location problems in the asylum centers and the inability of municipalities to find a place for refugees.
The news in the Dutch public broadcaster NOS included the statement of the Minister of State for Justice and Security, Eric van der Burg, regarding the location problems in refugee centres.
In the news, it was stated that the government is considering using three cruise ships that will anchor off the Dutch coast temporarily to shelter refugees.
Reminding that refugees have been waiting in these centers for months due to the density and length of application process in temporary protection centers, Van der Burg said, “The sad truth shows that this situation will continue for a little longer.” his words were included.
In the news, it was stated that three cruises were on their way to the Netherlands, and one of them would anchor off the town of Velsen, near Amsterdam.
In the news, which stated that a suitable place has not been found for the other two cruises yet, it was reminded that some municipalities oppose the anchorage of the cruise in their own regions.
In the report, it was reported that the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees and the Dutch Refugee Council found van der Burg’s cruise idea “remarkable” and “strange”.
In the news, which included the opinions of refugee lawyers and experts, evaluations were shared that this solution was “an absurd idea” but “not legally prohibited”.
ASYLUM APPLICATIONS TURNED INTO A NATIONAL CRISIS
The intensity that lasted for months in the asylum application center in Ter Apel, Netherlands turned into a national crisis.
While the Dutch government was trying to reduce the density in the asylum centre, the Dutch Red Cross set up tents in the garden of the asylum centre, due to the lack of adequate beds.
Despite the removal of the tents, many refugees continued to sleep in the garden.
The Dutch government set up a “national crisis team” last week to remedy the situation, which the Dutch Red Cross described as “inhumane”. (AA)