Ter Apel overnight shelter temporarily moves to Beilen
Midden-Drenthe will make room for up to 200 asylum seekers per night from 12 October.
Asylum seekers without a bed in Ter Apel will be able to stay overnight temporarily in Beilen from 12 October. The shelter at the events site will remain open until 25 January 2027, according to Midden-Drenthe council.
The council is making the events site available at the request of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration. There will be up to 200 places for people who need to be at the registration centre in Ter Apel but cannot stay there at night.
The shelter is intended solely for overnight stays. According to the council, residents will arrive between 10pm and 11pm and leave the following morning between 6am and 7am. During the day, the site will not be used as a shelter and no meals will be provided.
People will travel back to Ter Apel in the morning to continue their asylum procedure there. The Red Cross is organising the shelter and will arrange security and daily management, among other things. The council says it will remain in contact with the Red Cross, the police and the fire service.
Beilen is not a new location for overnight shelter. According to Midden-Drenthe, the site was already used for the same purpose in 2024. The council is now choosing a location with facilities already in place, so that no sports hall or other municipal facility needs to be made available.
The measure is intended to prevent people without a bed from having to sleep outside in Ter Apel. The cabinet previously announced additional security and shelter measures around the registration centre. The council emphasises, however, that overnight shelter does not solve the structural problems in the asylum system.
The temporary solution illustrates the tension between a national shelter problem and local implementation. The council decides on the location and organises cooperation, while the asylum procedure and the allocation of shelter places fall under national responsibility.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Beilen will temporarily provide up to 200 sleeping places.
- Users must return to Ter Apel during the day.
- The facility will operate until 25 January 2027 at the latest.
- The council says the measure is not a structural solution.
Left
Arguments Everyone seeking protection must be accommodated with dignity. The national government must provide enough permanent shelter and stop repeatedly burdening councils with temporary emergency solutions.
Values Human dignity, solidarity and equal responsibility among councils.
Consequences More permanent shelter could bring calm, but would require long-term public investment and a fairer distribution across the country.
Centre
Arguments Emergency shelter prevents immediate problems, but must be linked to a plan for procedures, onward movement and distribution. Councils and the national government must agree on duration, funding and safety.
Values Practicality, legal certainty and cooperation between authorities.
Consequences A temporary site can quickly provide relief, but without onward movement the problem will simply keep shifting.
Right
Arguments The government must first gain control over arrivals, procedures and returns. Emergency shelter must not become a permanent expansion without clear limits and control over who has the right to stay.
Values Order, national coordination and the manageability of public facilities.
Consequences Stricter selection and faster departures could reduce pressure, but could also lead to more legal proceedings and humanitarian risks.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The council confirms the location, period, capacity and overnight arrangements. The national context is based on government information about earlier measures in Ter Apel.
- confirmed The temporary overnight shelter in Beilen will operate from 12 October 2026 to 25 January 2027. — This is stated in the council's announcement. source
- confirmed There is room for up to 200 asylum seekers per night. — The council gives this as the maximum capacity. source
- confirmed Residents return to Ter Apel in the morning. — This is stated in the description of the shelter location. source
- confirmed The Red Cross organises the shelter and provides security, among other things. — The council names the Red Cross as the organisation carrying out the work. source
Editor's note
The schedule, capacity, location and organisation were published by the council. The number of people actually sleeping in Beilen each night may vary.Sources
- Midden-Drenthe biedt tijdelijke nachtopvang in Beilen — Gemeente Midden-Drenthe
- Extra maatregelen voor veiligheid en opvang in Ter Apel — Rijksoverheid
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „ter apel”
- Het Parool — „ter apel”
- Trouw — „ter apel”