Significant population displacements have been taking place for centuries, most of the time as a consequence of natural disasters, wars, persecution or economic challenges. In 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported 110 million people forcibly displaced worldwide (UNHCR, 2023). Conflicts in one country rapidly affect others, mainly as a result of these displacements and the vulnerable situation in which people find themselves in such circumstances. Thus, upon arrival in foreign countries, asylum seekers rely on the support provided by means of so called arrival/reception infrastructures, which can be material or immaterial means of aid.
The Netherlands, a country that receives refugees since its years as a republic, faced many crises in this regard over the years and keeps dealing with the consequences of episodes of high influx of refugees until nowadays. So, the objective of this research is to answer the questions “How did the reception infrastructure evolve during the main refugee crises in the Netherlands since World War II?”, and “What are the challenges and gaps in the spatial reception infrastructure offered by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), considering the minimum standards required by the Common European Asylum System?”, by analysing and reflecting upon historical media, archival materials, and publicly available reports and articles on the news about the current physical conditions of reception facilities.
Even though the asylum seekers’ reception system gradually became more regulated and the infrastructure provided changed significantly over the years, inhumane conditions continue to take place. European policies that fail on taking individual basic necessities of refugees into account, and a lack of shelter places in the country demonstrate that the reception infrastructure does not comply with the ever changing numbers of asylum requests, resulting in extremely inhumane situations to happen over and over again.