Military police to patrol Ter Apel from Monday
The municipality of Westerwolde asked for help with incidents involving low-prospect asylum seekers in the village, including on average twenty shoplifting incidents a week in the centre.
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Illustrative photo: Michel Curi / CC BY 2.0
The Koninklijke Marechaussee, the Dutch military police, will patrol Ter Apel from Monday to support the police. Mayor Jaap Velema of Westerwolde, the municipality that includes Ter Apel, announced the deployment last month.
The municipality asked for the support because of the large number of incidents involving asylum seekers with little chance of being granted asylum, known as veiligelanders. There are on average 20 shoplifting incidents a week in the centre of Ter Apel.
Velema says incidents, such as stabbings, also happen regularly on the site of the asylum reception agency COA. The mayor wants the number of asylum seekers in this group cut sharply.
The mayor also says young people in the centre drink alcohol and cause a nuisance.
Asylum applications nationwide
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) counted 2,100 first asylum applications in the Netherlands in September, against 2,700 in September 2025 and 1,845 in August 2026.
Since January, monthly first applications have ranged from 1,810 in June to 2,145 in May, CBS figures show.
The September 2025 count of 2,700 is the highest monthly figure between September 2025 and September 2026, CBS figures show.
First asylum applications are lower than a year ago
People · Sep 2025–Sep 2026
First asylum applications are lower than a year ago (people). From 2,700 in Sep 2025 to 2,100 in Sep 2026; highest 2,700 in Sep 2025, lowest 1,810 in Jun 2026. Source: CBS.
View data
| Item | People |
|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2,700 |
| Oct 2025 | 2,470 |
| Nov 2025 | 2,485 |
| Dec 2025 | 2,570 |
| Jan 2026 | 2,070 |
| Feb 2026 | 1,960 |
| Mar 2026 | 1,965 |
| Apr 2026 | 2,105 |
| May 2026 | 2,145 |
| Jun 2026 | 1,810 |
| Jul 2026 | 1,920 |
| Aug 2026 | 1,845 |
| Sep 2026 | 2,100 |
Source: CBS
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