“We are preparing for a large influx of refugees,” says Jan Hamming, the mayor of Zaanstad and chairman of the Zaanstreek-Waterland Security Region. In this region, too, many places have been set up to receive Ukrainians. According to Hamming, this is desperately needed.
“You slowly see that the capacity in the Netherlands is filling up,” said the driver. “That is why we have to keep scaling up. Those two thousand places (for which each security region is responsible, ed.) really have to come up in the coming weeks, we expect the capacity to be fully utilized.”
He continues: “You see that the trains from Berlin arriving in Amsterdam are full of refugees, who are then distributed across the regions. In the coming period from Thursday, a distribution center will be set up in The Hague, so that we can achieve a good distribution of refugees. in the country.”
At the various places in Zaanstad where Ukrainians are received, the residents have received a letter from the mayor. In it he says that due to the rapid developments there was no time to inform them in advance. Hamming now says that despite that speed, the willingness of the Zaankanters to help is great. “I have not heard a single, really no resistance or complaint, but a lot of people who show commitment. That is very special.”
He concludes with an example: “Here in Assendelft, a floor had to be laid at the Lycurgus athletics club. One contact with Forbo resulted in the floor being laid the next day by a great many volunteers. There are a lot of people who want to get involved. to make.”