Amsterdam Cuts Bus Service for 1,500 Asylum Seekers on Isolated Ship
Amsterdam, 18 April 2026
Residents of Amsterdam’s MS Galaxy asylum ship will lose their twice-weekly shuttle bus to the city centre from 1 May 2026, leaving 1,500 people stranded in an industrial port area with no walking routes to public transport. The nearest metro station lies 4.4 kilometres away with no pavements or safe pedestrian access. Mayor Femke Halsema’s administration disputes the decision, citing previous agreements that guaranteed city connections for residents.
COA Justifies Cost-Cutting Measure as Self-Sufficiency Policy
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) announced the termination of the shuttle bus service as part of its ‘self-sufficiency’ policy, stating that residents should use regular public transport, walking, or cycling to reach the city [2]. The hourly bus service had been government-funded for months, though originally intended only for specific vulnerable groups such as school-age children [2]. A COA spokesperson explained that those wishing to travel to the city must now rely on alternative transport methods, marking a significant shift in support services for the facility’s approximately 1,500 residents [2].
Geographical Isolation Presents Insurmountable Challenges
The MS Galaxy sits in Amsterdam’s Westelijk Havengebied at Westerhoofd, surrounded exclusively by industrial and port companies with no pedestrian infrastructure [1]. The closest public transport connections are the Isolatorweg metro station at 4.4 kilometres away and Sloterdijk station at 4.6 kilometres distant, with no walking route connecting the ship to either facility [1]. Residents face particular hardship without bicycles, as 34-year-old Dje Bi Olick from Ivory Coast explained: ‘It is an impossible place to live without a bicycle’ [1]. The situation becomes more acute for workers like Olick, whose stolen bicycle now forces him to wake at 4:00 to reach his 7:00 job near the Amstel [1].
Residents Plan Formal Complaint Over Essential Services Access
Multiple residents expressed incomprehension at the decision and announced plans to file complaints with the COA [1]. Hanan Hejaze, a 62-year-old translator, called the choice ‘incomprehensible’, questioning why the bus service must be eliminated entirely when twice-weekly service would suffice [1]. Lamaan Khalil, aged 60, highlighted the practical implications: ‘We also have to buy things like shampoo, vitamins and soap in the city… We want to, but we can’t. Soon we won’t be able to go anywhere anymore’ [1]. The complaints reflect broader concerns about access to essential services and employment opportunities in Amsterdam’s city centre.
Political Standoff Between Local and National Authorities
Amsterdam’s municipal government, led by Mayor Femke Halsema, strongly opposes the COA’s unilateral decision, citing existing administrative agreements [2]. The city administration maintains that previous arrangements guaranteed a connection to the city for residents who need it, given the MS Galaxy’s isolated location [2]. Municipal officials expect the COA to honour these commitments and continue providing appropriate transport services [2]. This dispute highlights a fundamental disagreement between national asylum policy implementation and local accessibility obligations, with the COA’s cost-cutting measures directly conflicting with municipal expectations for resident services [2]. The MS Galaxy has served as emergency accommodation for approximately 1,500 asylum seekers and status holders since 2022, with its mandate extended until at least 2027 to meet the legal requirement of providing 4,479 places [1].