MiGreat and Breakthrough file complaint with Ombudsman: ‘Taking tents away from people in need outrageous’

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February 2, 2023
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February 2, 2023.

MiGreat and Doorbraak, supported by lawyers from PILP, filed a complaint with the National Ombudsman about the taking away of tents from people who had no other form of shelter and were forced to sleep outside at the application center in Ter Apel.

Late summer 2022, hundreds of people, who wanted and needed to register at the IND’s application center in Ter Apel, were forced to spend one or more nights outside. Sometimes even in the pouring rain. The government did not provide them with humane shelter. They had no shelter or accommodation of any kind.

The cold, rain and lack of hygiene they were exposed to posed a risk to their health, according to the Health & Youth Inspectorate and a report by NOS in January 2023.

Several organizations and individuals, including MiGreat and Doorbraak, therefore distributed tents to those forced to sleep outside in Ter Apel in August and September 2022.

Those tents were confiscated several times by enforcers and police, while no other form of shelter was provided. Although the authorities argued they were taking away the tents for safety reasons, the NIS report eventually revealed, the lack of tents and shelter was to serve as a means of pressure to get the state and other municipalities to provide more shelters.

Roos Ykema (president of MiGreat): ‘It is unbelievable that enforcement officers and police officers in Ter Apel have taken away tents from people who were forced to sleep outside. Especially now that it appears that the tents were packed off so that people’s suffering could be used as political pressure. We are very concerned about the huge shortage of shelter spaces, and fear that once again people will have to stand outside or even sleep. That is when tents will once again be vital. Taking shelter away from people who have nowhere else to go is a violation of human rights.’

MiGreat and Breakthrough previously filed complaints with the North Netherlands police unit and Westerwolde municipality about the taking of the tents. Neither agency considered the complaint and thus did not address the substance of the complaint. Police say they were not tasked with seizing the tents, while there is footage that shows officers were actively involved in seizing the tents.

Read the complaint here.

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