The immigration debate in the Netherlands never seems to quiet down, but as tensions rise, it’s the most vulnerable—asylum seekers—who bear the brunt. Few, however, would imagine that negligence could extend to something as basic and vital as food—poisoning those already struggling to survive.

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) manages around 70,000 asylum seekers across more than 300 facilities, including official centers and emergency shelters. In Amsterdam, there is one official center, with 4,000 emergency shelters scattered around the city, housed in unused buildings, hotels, and even cruise ships.

On August 18, 2024, at one of these emergency shelters—a hotel converted into temporary housing for asylum seekers—dozens fell ill after eating dinner.

It was after a kebab meal that many began feeling nauseous and weak. At first, confusion spread, Ambulances rushed to the scene to provide first aid as confusion gave way to panic, with nearly everyone who consumed the meal falling ill.

We spoke to five asylum seekers living in the shelter to understand what happened. Two of them, referred to as UO and FW, were willing to share their experiences.

UO told us that three individuals were initially taken to the hospital by ambulance. As more people fell ill, without offering any explanation for the outbreak, medics administered a single pill to the affected individuals and advised them to rest on site.

Despite the widespread sickness and concerns raised by the asylum seekers, the same meal was served again the following day. When the asylum seekers refused to eat, a COA employee informed them that the vegetables had been tested and deemed safe.

This response triggered frustration. “We didn’t complain about the vegetables,” UO stated. The problem was the kebab and potatoes, but they ignored that and served it again. We had no choice but to refuse to eat.

FW confirmed UO’s account, “We asked COA to change the catering company due to the quality of the food, but they did nothing. Now we’ve been poisoned, and still nothing has changed. What are we supposed to do? Stop eating?”.

With COA refusing to change the food provider, the asylum seekers protested. In response, the restaurant locked its doors, trapping two women and a child inside. FW confirmed that one of the women and her 10-year-old daughter were assaulted by a restaurant employee. Soon, the police arrived with dogs, responding to what COA had falsely reported as a riot.

According to FW, there was no riot—just an unconscious child the police scrambled to revive.

It wasn’t until three days after the poisoning incident, on August 21, that COA finally changed the meals. Even then, they paired this decision with an investigation into the asylum seekers, accusing them of causing unrest.

The August 18 incident is a wake-up call. It highlights not just the failures of COA but the broader failings of the Dutch asylum system. This is a system that weaponizes food, silences protests, and punishes the vulnerable for daring to demand basic rights.

Change is not just necessary—it’s urgent. The lives of thousands depend on it. Asylum seekers came to the Netherlands seeking safety, but they found a system that dehumanizes and neglects them. It’s time for the Netherlands to choose: will it be a country that protects the vulnerable, or one that poisons them?

Transfer as Punishment

COA accused the woman and her daughter, who had been assaulted, of attacking a restaurant employee, while ignoring her own claims of assault.

Days later, a COA representative met with her in Amsterdam and informed her that she would be transferred to another shelter due to her “misconduct.”

The woman explained her need to stay at this shelter, as her brother and ex-husband also lived there and helped her care for her children. She expressed that such a transfer would harm her children’s mental health, especially with the school year about to start, potentially forcing her eldest daughter to switch schools.

UO confirmed that the woman had filed a complaint with COA’s central administration, accusing the staff of racism and assaulting her daughter, but over a month later—at the time of writing—she had still received no response.

FW pointed out that this was not the first time COA had resorted to punitive measures; three other individuals had been transferred for protesting the food quality, unrelated to this particular incident.

It’s unconscionable that asylum seekers are not only subjected to unhealthy food but are also punished for protesting—even when that very food sends them to the hospital.

Asylum seekers in this shelter feel that the authorities responsible for their welfare fail to acknowledge their basic human rights. One woman posed a powerful question: ‘If we were cats, would they give us unsafe food?”.