Underage refugees in the Netherlands risk becoming a ‘lost generation’ unless the standard of care in asylum facilities improves dramatically, the children’s ombudsman has warned.

In a damning report, Marc Dullaert said the system was too slow and offered inadequate support to children who arrived in the country with emotional or psychological problems.

‘In some places children have to wait weeks before they can go to school, even though education offers them the structure they need,’ Dullaert told NOS.

Education minister Sander Dekker admitted in a letter to Parliament this week that the government had no idea how many of the 12,000 refugee children in the Netherlands were at school, RTL Nieuws reported. By law children are supposed to start attending classes within 72 hours of arriving, but in practice this is rare.

Night shelter

Dullaert noted that some children were being forced to move up to 10 times a year as the authorities struggle to find a place for their families. ‘The many moves and poor accommodation facilities mean they are unable to settle,’ he said.

Some families are having to wait two years to be reunited, causing ‘even more damage’ to vulnerable children, Dullaert said. He also expressed concern for underage orphaned children who risk ‘falling between two stools’ when they turn 18. ‘The risk is that they end up in the Salvation Army’s night shelter,’ he said.

Dullaert called for more efforts to be made to ensure children who arrive from war zones are integrated into Dutch society quickly so they can lead normal lives. ‘If we don’t invest in them we risk having a lost generation on the margins of society,’ he said.