A three-month-old infant has passed away in the sports hall of Ter Apel asylum centre. The baby’s family were forced to sleep in the sports hall due to a lack of available beds.
At the time of writing, the cause of the baby’s death remains unknown. However, the House of Representatives has called for an investigation.
Investigation launched
An inspection will “investigate all possible aspects that may have played a role in the death of the baby,” the government said in a press release.
“For example, the inspectorates look at the medical cause, whether care has been provided before, the available care and the living conditions around the application centre and in the sports hall.”
Record number of people sleeping outside
Part of the answer may be found in the fact that Ter Apel is facing a huge accommodation crisis for asylum seekers. Last night a record-breaking 700 people were forced to sleep outside, the NOS reports.
Included in this number were pregnant women, children, and people with chronic illnesses.
Doctors Without Borders called in
The situation has become so dire at Ter Apel that Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has dispatched employees to help out.
According to these employees, the situation at Ter Apel is comparable to the standards at the Moira Refugee camp that was established on the Greek Island of Lesbos.
Speaking on the NOS Radio 1 Journaal, the Mayor of Groningen Koen Schuiling has summed up what we’re all thinking: “It is a sad, low point for our country that we have come this far.”
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