The visit is part of a series of visits by the King with Secretaries of state, and the relevant minister shows part of his or her field. This series is the continuation of a series of working visits that His Majesty took last year with his ministers.
Today he was in Ter Apel, which is the first reception for asylum seekers regularly,where they will be assessed on their immigration status and where failed asylum seekers appreciate temporarily housing prior to their departure. His Majesty visited with the State Secretary and the staff of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), the Association of Dutch Municipalities, the Department of Alien Police, Identification and trafficking, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Repatriation and Departure Service, Inter-School (primary school for foreigners) , Refugee Council and the Institute for Psychological Trauma (guides COA staff in their mental heavy lifting). The employees told how they ensure a sober but humane care in their work. They discussed also about the challenges in managing large inflows of refugees and the flow in the process.
Secretary Dijk Hoff and Mr. Wolthof, unit manager of the North # COA King then led around the complex. The working visit ended with a meeting with mayors of municipalities, provinces, the COA, the Red Cross, Refugee Council and the Safety of administrative cooperation on asylum-seekers.