Amsterdam refugees set up tents, sleep on building site

refugeesSome of the group of refugees who have lost their right to stay in the Netherlands moved into tents in the Pijp area of Amsterdam on Monday, news agency ANP says on Tuesday.

Another group slept in the open air on land earmarked for building and a few moved into the city council’s emergency centre.

The group were evicted from a car park where they had been squatting on Monday but are most refusing to use the council centre because it is closed during the day.

Around 120 people were living in the car park, dubbed the Vluchtgarage. Many come from Somalia, Congo and Yemen and have been living in squats all over the city since 2012, including abandoned offices and a church.

The asylum seekers have all lost their applications for refugee status and have been ordered to leave the Netherlands. However, most of the group have no papers or say they will be at risk if they return to their home countries.

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