Over 100 asylum seekers were relocated from the overcrowded registration center in Ter Apel to sports halls and other emergency accommodation across the Netherlands on Thursday, prompting further opposition to an asylum crisis many consider to be out of control and against the wishes of local people.
The municipality of Aa en Hunze, which includes Gieten, said around 90 to 100 people were given a place to sleep at De Goorns sports hall after an appeal from Jaap Velema, the mayor of Westerwolde, where Ter Apel is located.
The move came after dozens of asylum seekers were still waiting on the grass outside the registration center late in the evening. Two buses arrived at around 10:30 p.m. and left almost full for Gieten.
On Wednesday, around 50 asylum seekers were sent to Stadskanaal for one night after space ran out at the registration center.
Amsterdam has also agreed to provide additional reception places following a request from Asylum Affairs Minister Bart van den Brink, according to De Telegraaf. A spokesperson said the transfer from Ter Apel to Amsterdam had already been set in motion and would help ease pressure on the registration center.
#TerApel zit vol meneer, er kan niemand meer naar binnen.
Oké nou dan ga ik wel terug naar Frankrijk of Spanje, maar asiel zal ik krijgen in Europa.
Was getekend : een " vluchteling" 🤡
Dit gaat helemaal niet meer over " vluchtelingen" maar over een asielindustrie.#Asielstop pic.twitter.com/sKS0kpvj77
— 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓸𝓵 🇳🇱 (@RosasMarysol2) May 21, 2026However, it was still unclear on Thursday whether the extra Amsterdam spaces would be enough to resolve the immediate problem in Ter Apel. The asylum agency said the center remained full and that there was still not enough room for everyone.
Amsterdam said the new places would be on top of the 4,781 reception spaces already available in the city, which it said was more than required under the national distribution law.
Earlier this month, the Dutch municipality of Hulst reacted with anger after local officials confirmed that the Reynaertland swimming pool will once again be used as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers.
The emergency transfers come as opposition to asylum redistribution continues to grow in several Dutch communities.
In Loosdrecht, protests have continued for more than a month against the arrival of new asylum seekers, while in Engelen, residents have also been demonstrating against plans to house 50 unaccompanied minor migrants in a former police station.
Volle bak in Engelen!
Nederland komt in verzet!#AZCNee #Asielstop pic.twitter.com/cOxnC8HWZ5
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) May 21, 2026PVV leader Geert Wilders visited Engelen on Thursday to address residents opposed to the shelter. He warned that asylum centers brought risks, including intimidation, violence, and threats to local safety.
Wilders also directed a message at Mayor Jack Mikkers, saying, “Stand behind your own people. If you can’t or don’t want to, get out!”
“The Netherlands is the Netherlands, and Islam does not belong in the Netherlands. People, mass immigration has already cost us hundreds of billions of euros,” Wilders told a sizable crowd.
“And who is footing the bill for that? Who do you think is footing the bill? You. You are indeed footing the bill. The Dutch. And to pay for that little joke about mass immigration and open borders, [Prime Minister] Jetten and his gang are now cutting back on healthcare. On pensions. On social security,” he added.
