Abandoned Dutch prisons are being used to house refugees - here's what they're like inside

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dutch prison asylum

Muhammed Muheisen/AP Images

Tens of thousands of refugees from all over the Middle East - including countries like Syria, Iraq, Morocco, and Libya - have found an unlikely haven in the Netherlands.

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Crime there has been declining for the last decade, and 19 of nearly 60 prisons have closed in the last three years. Others have taken in inmates from Belgium or Norway.

Now the Dutch government agency responsible for securing housing for asylum seekers has opened prisons in 12 locations around the country to refugees. As the AP reports, the spaces are currently serving hundreds of people in need.

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At one such facility, De Koepel, the open space and array of amenities make the prison uniquely suited to serve as a temporary home. Here's what life is like on the inside.