The refugees who moved out of their squat in a multi-storey car park in Amsterdam on Monday morning gathered at the city’s town hall on Monday afternoon, demanding a meeting with mayor Eberhard van der Laan.

A spokesman for the group said they would remain in the complex until a solution for their situation has been found. However, the group, around 100-strong, moved off in the late afternoon after police prepared to move in.

It is unclear where the group is now heading.

Van der Laan ordered the squatters to leave the car park because the city has organised alternative, basic accommodation for them. The car park itself is scheduled for demolition.

Around 120 people were living in the car park, dubbed the Vluchtgarage. Many come from Somalia, Congo and Yemen and have been living in squats all over the city since 2012, including abandoned offices and a church.

The asylum seekers have all lost their applications for refugee status and have been ordered to leave the Netherlands. However, most of the group have no papers or say they will be at risk if they return to their home countries.

The city council has organised ‘bed, bath and bread’ facilities for the group, which is largely made up of men. However, the shelters are only open at night and the refugees say they will be forced to roam the streets during the day.