Tens of thousands of refugees from all over the Middle East — countries like Syria, Iraq, Morocco, and Libya — have found an unlikely haven in the Netherlands.
Crime has been on the decline for the last decade, and dozens of Dutch prisons have been forced to close their doors as a result. To stay afloat, some have welcomed inmates from Belgium or Norway.
Now the Dutch government agency responsible for housing asylum seekers has opened the doors of prisons in 12 locations around the country, servicing hundreds of people in need, the AP reports.
Unlike American prisons, the facilities are uniquely suited to serve as temporary homes given their wide-open spaces and array of amenities.
Here's what life is like on the inside.
Last year, the Netherlands saw approximately 60,000 migrants enter the country.
While most were given help finding traditional shelter, the Dutch government called on its prison system to offer its increasingly vacant facilities.
In Haarlem, the former prison of De Koepel features layers of cells on the perimeters of a main courtyard.
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