The emergency shelter for Afghan evacuees in Heumensoord reception center, near Nijmegen, must be closed “as soon as possible”. Which set the College of Human Rights and the National Ombudsman on Wednesday. The two organizations recently visited the reception center and found it unsuitable for long-term residence. Since the end of August, hundreds of Afghan refugees, including at least 450 children, have been staying in Heumensoord.
The emergency shelter is intended to close after December 31, but a new place to stay for the evacuees is not readily available. Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen and Jacobine Geel, chair of the Human Rights Council, do not see an acceptable option in extending the reception period in Heumensoord. According to them, there is a “great lack of privacy” and this, combined with uncertainty about the length of stay and the future, leads to health problems, such as stress, insomnia and depression. Also, the temporary emergency buildings in which the refugees stay would not be suitable for the cold winter months.
In 2016, the Ombudsman and the Human Rights College already visited Heumensoord, where an emergency shelter was also located at the time. Even then, they called the large-scale reception in the emergency buildings “harmful” for the safety and health of residents. In response to the findings, the government was recommended not to reopen the site.
#Emergency #shelter #Heumensoord #completely #unsuitable #call #quick #closure