A court in the Netherlands has ruled that the agency responsible for housing asylum-seekers must pay a fine of 50,000 euros (approximately $54,000) for each day that the number of migrants at an overcrowded center exceeds 2,000. This ruling pertains to the Ter Apel facility in northern Netherlands, which has become a focal point for the country’s struggles with its asylum process.
The municipality overseeing the Ter Apel center initiated legal action against the accommodation organization known by its Dutch acronym COA, in an effort to enforce compliance with a 2010 agreement that limits the facility’s capacity to 2,000 individuals. This case arises during a period of intense national discourse regarding migration policies and reflects the hardline stance of the current Dutch government, which is seeking to abolish a regulation that mandates local governments to provide housing for asylum-seekers.
Ter Apel exemplifies the challenges facing the Dutch asylum system, characterized by protracted legal disputes from migrants attempting to secure residency and increasing pushback against facilities that host them. In 2022, numerous migrants were left to sleep outdoors in harsh conditions adjacent to the Ter Apel center, prompting a response from various Dutch aid organizations striving to deliver medical and other forms of support. Unfortunately, despite efforts to alleviate the situation, instances of overcrowding continue to plague the facility.
The Northern Netherlands District Court has mandated that COA must reduce the number of asylum-seekers at Ter Apel to below 2,000 within a fortnight. Should they fail to do so, the organization will incur fines of 50,000 euros each day the limit is surpassed, with a cap on total penalties set at 5 million euros. In January, a similar directive was issued by the same court, although at that time, the daily penalty was set at 15,000 euros, with a ceiling of 1.5 million euros on total fines.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from either COA or the municipality following the court’s ruling. The decision comes shortly after the ruling coalition announced stringent new policies aimed at curbing migration, including the reinstatement of border controls—marking the Netherlands as the latest European nation to adopt a tougher approach in the face of rising anti-immigrant sentiment across the continent.
The four-party coalition in power was established following protracted negotiations that ensued after the significant electoral success of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom, which advocated for significant reductions in immigration levels. This announcement follows a recent meeting of European Union leaders who deliberated on strategies to address migration and enhance border security, signaling a shift from the EU’s previously more welcoming posture. Nearby Germany has also reintroduced border checks, while the newly elected French government has signaled an intention to take a firmer stance on migration issues as well.