Before the end of this month, 200 to 250 asylum seekers will be given shelter on the grounds of Radboud University. The old stables in Park Brakkenstein, which are owned by the university, will house an emergency shelter for asylum seekers. The municipality of Nijmegen just announced this.

The emergency shelter on campus, which will open before the end of this month, will stay until at least the end of 2022. The reason for the emergency shelter is the large influx of asylum seekers at the central registration centre in Ter Apel. With the announcement, the municipality answers the state’s call to urgently arrange emergency shelter for these people.

In the stables, at the d’Almarasweg, heated bedrooms for up to four people are being furnished. There will also be toilets, showers, and a meeting area. In total, there will be room for 200 to 250 people. The shelter coordination, as well as supervision, is in the hands of the municipality.

Safe country of origin

The shelter will not house people of who it is already known that they have no chance at asylum, the municipality announced in a press release. Reason for this can be a safe country of origin, for example.

It is not the first time refugees are housed near the university. In 2015, a large refugee camp for 3000 people opened in the nearby Heumensoord. Last year, the nature reserve was also used as an emergency shelter. Back then, some 750 Afghan refugees were housed.

Radboud University was not available on Tuesday evening for questions about the shelter.