A 29-year-old man was arrested after a fight broke out near the asylum center in Ter Apel, Netherlands, on Saturday. The mood in and around the center has reportedly been tense for weeks.
According to local reports, an older asylum seeker was physically attacked by another person outside the Ter Apel facility in the evening hours of July 11, which apparently led to a melee.
Police arrested the man who is believed to be responsible for the fight; however, there was no information immediately available on whether that person is another asylum seeker or a Dutch national.
It was only reported that the person taken into custody came from Budel, located about 275 kilometers away in the opposite corner of the country.
The event came as local authorities remained on high alert following two stabbing incidents at the facility in two days.
Police had to intervene on several occasions throughout the weekend after confrontations and clashes repeatedly broke out around the Ter Apel asylum center.
In response to repeated eruptions of violence, the Dutch Red Cross and VluchtelingenWerk migrant charity were forced to suspend their activities at the facility to protect their staff.
Read AlsoNetherlands ends housing support for rejected asylum seekers
Tense situation outside gates to Ter Apel
The Ter Apel facility suffers from overcrowding, housing only the most vulnerable of asylum seekers at present. This means in practice that the vast majority of people currently at the center are women and children.
Most men — especially single men — are rejected. However, people who have family or friends at Ter Apel now tend to congregate on the open fields outside the gate to the asylum center, in addition to those who hope to nevertheless be granted a spot at the facility, which already houses more than 2,000 people.
Rejected asylum seekers still present in The Netherlands are also assumed to be among those who gather outside the asylum center on an ongoing basis.
Many of the men who come to the area outside Ter Apel are reported to remain there in the evenings, with local media saying that this can result in a tense atmosphere.
The center has in the past suffered from extreme overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, requiring the courts to intervene and order authorities to clean up the facility.
Read AlsoDutch asylum center disaster: Housing crisis and politics to blame for Ter Apel crisis
Netherlands to announce new measures against disruptive asylum seekers
The situation is not expected to ease up anytime soon. The local mayor said that authorities were trying to find a way to allow the aid organizations to resume their work.
In anticipation of more people showing up at the entrance to Ter Apel this week, an additional 150 emergency shelter places are now being arranged.
Meanwhile, the NL Times reported that the Ministry of Justice and Security is expected to announce new measures this week to address problems caused by disruptive elements among asylum seekers.
Anti-migrant sentiments have been rising across the Netherlands, resulting in widespread violence and public clashes between far-right supporters and police in recent months.
Read AlsoRioting leads to fire in asylum facility in the Netherlands