Rise of criminality surrounding COA locations
The topic of refugee centres causes a lot of turmoil. When a proposal is made to open a new COA location (reception centres), protests often follow. In some cases, these protests are effective and stop the opening of new centres. But what are the actual problems surrounding shelters?
The protests around COA locations are mostly held because people are scared that crimes will increase once a location is opened. These fears are genuine; people want to live in safe neighbourhoods. However, the fear that their environment will become less safe with a COA location is deceptive and informed by misinformation.
Although neighbourhoods with COA locations show slightly higher crime rates than the national average, research indicates that this is not caused by the presence of the centres. In many cases, these areas already had elevated crime levels before the shelters were established, and these patterns did not change after their arrival. In other words, the presence of a COA location does not appear to affect neighbourhood safety.
You can read more about criminality rates among refugees in our article on the topic here.
A study confirms this conclusion:
“None of the analyses showed that the presence of a COA location has a demonstrable effect on the level of neighbourhood crime and on the individual propensity to become a victim of a crime. Furthermore, when distinctions are drawn by type of COA location, composition of the residents, and occupancy rates (an indicator of the average number of residents), no significant effects were found”.
Overcrowded shelters
While public debates often focus on the impact of COA locations on surrounding neighbourhoods, many of the challenges are found inside the centres themselves. The stories from the people I have interviewed about these centres are often quite distressing: sharing a living space with strangers who have also experienced trauma, having no certainty about the future, and having limited possibilities to work or settle in an unfamiliar country.
Amount of residents living in COA centres [source]
“You cannot go anywhere without permission. You are not allowed to work or to travel. And you’re scared, you’re still washing off the freshness of living a war”
Even under normal circumstances, these living conditions raise ethical concerns. Over the past few years, however, the situation has worsened significantly. Many refugees are living in crisis emergency centres for long periods, even though these facilities are meant to host refugees only temporarily.
Funding for the facilities has been limited, resulting in a worse living conditions for asylum seekers. Emergency centres are often overcrowded, poorly maintained, and equipped with inadequate sleeping arrangements. Residents are frequently moved from one centre to another, creating instability and uncertainty.
In 2022, the Dutch court ruled that the shelters are detrimental to the inhabitants and failed to meet several European standards. Despite this ruling, emergency facilities remain the “home” for almost half of the asylum seekers living in the COA locations.
Currently, the COA locations are overcrowded and unable to provide decent living conditions. There are simply not enough shelters in the Netherlands for the amount of asylum seekers in need of shelters.
Some people argue that this shortage is a reason to limit the number of refugees entering the Netherlands. This seems quite a logical thought. However, experts argue that it is essentially impossible to lower the amount of people seeking refuge in a country.
Additionally, this overcrowdedness is not solely caused by new asylum seekers entering the Netherlands. The main source of insufficient accommodation is the financing of the COA and IND, which is based on inaccurate forecasts of how many refugees will enter the Netherlands. Furthermore, almost a third of the people staying in the COA locations already have a residence permit and should move to proper housing. However, the IND is behind on cases, creating a delay. This delay, along with the current housing crisis, means that status holders are stuck in overcrowded COA locations.
For a deeper look at the housing situation, including how refugees are assigned housing and how they influence the system, see our housing article here.
Health risks
The Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) is a government organisation that keeps track of the living conditions of asylum seekers. In a recent study, they found that the living conditions for asylum seekers can be harmful for their health, especially for vulnerable groups like elderly, children, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, and pregnant women.
“It was very difficult living in the asylum centre. Because you have to live with people you don’t know. We had one toilet for nineteen people. There was no privacy”
The IGJ found that many refugees have to stay in crisis emergency centres designed only for short-term use. This means that refugees live with subpar facilities and living conditions.
Frequent relocations between different centres further complicate the situation. Because asylum seekers are regularly moved, continuity of medical care becomes extremely difficult. For vulnerable people, this can result in serious increases in health problems and worse care outcomes. For example, pregnant women in COA locations have quite a higher chance of dying due to their pregnancy than the average Dutch resident.
Similar problems exist in the field of mental healthcare. Every time a refugee is relocated, they will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list of the new area. This lack of a stable living condition leads to incredibly long waiting times to get psychological support from the Dutch association for mental health and addiction care: the Nederlandse Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ).
Refugees are one of the most vulnerable groups to suffer from mental health issues. Besides, life in COA locations often strains asylum seekers’ mental health. Overcrowding, limited privacy, and the absence of support networks make mental stability difficult.
When people cannot access appropriate care in time, their conditions often deteriorate. It also heightens the pressure on the Dutch psychological care system, which is already quite strained with increasing waiting times, staff shortages, and a growing demand for care.
“The experience living in the asylum centre? It feels like you are not living on earth but on air. You have no documents, you are no one, you only have your memories”
Children in COA locations
The situation in refugee centres is particularly concerning for children. Every child has the right to a stable environment. Yet, according to the IGJ, many children in COA locations do not have secure surroundings. They often lack privacy and experience a lot of turmoil and, in some cases, even unsafe conditions. Frequent relocations further undermine stability.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to life and development. The current conditions in many COA locations do not comply with the agreements made in the convention, failing to uphold their universal rights.
"States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child” - UN, OHCHR
The Distribution Law (De Spreidingswet)
The distribution law was adopted in February 2024 to address the problem of insufficient COA locations. The law requires municipalities to house asylum seekers, increasing the number of permanent locations spread throughout the country, and decreasing the need for emergency accommodation. The division of shelters is based on the number of citizens and the prosperity of municipalities.
However, in April 2025, the Dutch government proposed revoking the law. The Advisory Council for Migration expressed concern about this resolution:
“The Council is concerned about the lack of justification, the fact that this plan is not carefully aligned with other measures and the fact that an instrument that appears to be working properly will be abolished without any operational alternatives returning in its place”
The COA also advises against abolishing the law, stating that the distribution law is necessary for multiple reasons:
According to COA reports, the Distribution Law is helping to create new permanent reception centres that operate more efficiently and humanely while also reducing costs. A more balanced distribution of facilities improves living conditions and reduces the need for frequent relocations, which in turn supports better healthcare and greater stability. Additionally, this promotes participation and contribution to society for asylum seekers.
The story of Michael
Michael has been living in the Netherlands for three years, but he is still awaiting a decision on his residence permit. He enjoys working out, has a job in a restaurant in Zwolle, and dreams of one day inviting friends to his own home. Yet due to complications in his procedure, he still lives in a COA location.
Before coming to the Netherlands, a friend had described the asylum procedure to him, giving him the impression that he knew what to expect. The reality, however, was very different.
“She told me, ‘You’ll apply for asylum, they’ll find you a place to stay with others, and that’s it.’ But when I arrived, they sent me to Ter Apel. It was a tent with about 40 or 50 people, not a house. They told us it was because the Netherlands had no space left, everything was full of refugees. I couldn’t understand anything because I didn’t speak English. I was in a country where I didn’t know anything, and I was scared”.
He stayed there for 20 days before being moved to an emergency location in Rotterdam built from shipping containers. After that, he was transferred to the COA centre in Budel, nearly as large and chaotic as Ter Apel. Eventually, he was relocated to the asylum centre in Dronten, where he now shares accommodation with two other asylum seekers.
“I try to live a normal life. I do my best at work and with my friends. I try to be kind because it’s the people who make me a little happier”
His living situation remains difficult. Michael shares a room with an older man who struggles with severe mental health issues - slamming doors, banging pans, and screaming throughout the night. Instead of receiving proper care, the man remains in an asylum centre, and the COA appears unable to act.
“They comes to us and says, ‘We can’t do anything.’ The situation is draining.”
Michael wants a normal, peaceful life, but he often tries to avoid being at the centre. Despite everything, he remains hopeful and tries to focus on the positive people around him.
“When I’m home, I just sleep until the next day. And when I’m free, I go to the gym, I go shopping - I prefer to stay busy”.
