Doctors quit over placement of severely mentally ill asylum seekers in Netherlands' toughest centre

In Hoogeveen’s Handhaving- en Toezichtlocatie, three doctors quit after years of raising concerns that the centre was admitting asylum seekers with serious psychiatric conditions, contrary to its original mandate. They allege that COA and the health contractor GZA routinely ignored their medical objections, pressuring staff to accept placements and later delegating assessments to Babylonzorg, which reviews dossiers remotely.

The HTL, designed for disruptive but physically healthy migrants, now houses a volatile mix of aggressive individuals and patients requiring specialist care unavailable on site. Inspectors have flagged the centre as not a health institution, and alternative treatment at the Veldzicht clinic is often bypassed. The resignations highlight systemic failures in the Dutch asylum system’s handling of mental health needs and raise questions about safety for both residents and staff.