Amsterdam is making emergency accommodations for at least 1,000 refugees available on a cruise ship in the Westelijk Havengebied area. In a press release, the city said the action would relieve pressure on Ter Apel, where scenes of asylum seekers sleeping outside in unsanitary and 'inhumane' conditions have travelled around the world. Refugees will be able to stay on the ship for at least six months, starting in October, and possibly for longer. Deputy mayor Rutger Groot Wassink, responsible for social affairs and refugees in Amsterdam, said, "The situation in Ter Apel is heartbreaking. Together we need to solve the lack of asylum locations so that refugees can find a place…The shelter on the cruise ship is only a short-term solution. It is important that the national government and municipalities reform the broken asylum chain so that these kind of emergency situations are not needed in the future."

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