Groningen opens 100 places for families from Ter Apel
Temporary accommodation on Europaweg will remain available for three weeks at the ministry’s request.
Follow-up to: Government warns municipalities of shortage of asylum reception places Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 10:29
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Groningen is making around 100 temporary accommodation places available for families with young children who cannot be accommodated at the registration centre in Ter Apel. The first families will be accommodated on Europaweg on Wednesday, the municipality announced on Tuesday.
The accommodation is being provided at the express request of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration. It consists of around 100 beds that will remain available for three weeks. Groningen is using an existing emergency accommodation site on Europaweg for this purpose.
The first families will arrive on Wednesday 14 October. Until recently, the site was used to accommodate 150 refugees. Most of that group has since moved to the COA site on Sint Petersburgweg, creating space for the new temporary accommodation.
Alderman Jalt de Haan says the pressure on Ter Apel remains as high as ever. He says Groningen wants to prevent families with young children from having to sleep outside, but that a structural solution lies with central government and with municipalities that have not yet met their accommodation obligations.
The move follows a new appeal by Minister Bart van den Brink to municipalities to make additional places available. According to the cabinet, people again slept outside the registration centre last week because there was no space. Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on Friday that sufficient accommodation would also continue to be needed outside Ter Apel in the short term.
The temporary facility does not change the procedure for the people accommodated there. They are waiting for a place in the reception system and will later be transferred when capacity becomes available elsewhere. It is not yet known how the beds will be allocated after three weeks.
Earlier this year, Groningen had already helped Ter Apel several times with overnight and emergency accommodation. The recurring deployment shows that municipalities can step in quickly at local level, but also that available accommodation capacity remains insufficient. The debate over a fairer distribution therefore continues alongside the immediate assistance.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Groningen is opening around 100 temporary accommodation places.
- The accommodation is intended for families with young children who cannot be accommodated in Ter Apel.
- The facility will remain available for three weeks.
- The ministry asked Groningen for help.
Left
Arguments Municipalities should accommodate people who would otherwise sleep outside immediately. According to this approach, the recurring emergency shows that the Netherlands must invest structurally in humane accommodation and faster procedures.
Values Human dignity, solidarity and equal treatment.
Consequences More temporary accommodation prevents immediate harm, but without structural capacity municipalities will repeatedly be left to find emergency solutions.
Centre
Arguments Emergency accommodation is necessary, but it must go hand in hand with clear national coordination, predictable funding and a distribution system in which municipalities fulfil their statutory duty.
Values Practical feasibility, legal certainty and administrative responsibility.
Consequences A combination of temporary assistance and permanent sites could reduce the pressure, but it requires time, money and cooperation between central government and municipalities.
Right
Arguments According to this approach, the continuing need for emergency accommodation proves that arrivals and the length of stay must be limited. Municipalities should not repeatedly have to take on extra responsibility when other municipalities fall behind.
Values Migration control, local authority and enforcement of the rules.
Consequences Greater emphasis on limitation and return could reduce pressure on accommodation, but offers no immediate solution for families already seeking protection.
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 current development has been confirmed by the municipality of Groningen and is in line with the cabinet’s recent appeal to create additional accommodation capacity. The precise duration of the accommodation and subsequent transfers have not yet been determined and were not presented as facts.
- confirmed Groningen is making around 100 temporary accommodation places available on Europaweg. — Reported by OOG Groningen on 13 October 2026. source
- confirmed The accommodation will remain available for three weeks and is intended for families with young children. — Mentioned in the municipal news report as reproduced by OOG Groningen. source
- confirmed The cabinet recently called on municipalities to create additional accommodation places. — The prime minister described the urgent need for accommodation outside Ter Apel on 9 October. source
Editor's note
The number of beds, the location, the duration and the purpose of the accommodation are certain. It is uncertain where the families will go after three weeks; no decision on this has been published.Sources
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 10:29 Government warns municipalities of shortage of asylum reception places
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 21:28 Groningen opens 100 places for families from Ter Apel (this article)