Municipalities in Drenthe and Groningen that receive Ukrainian refugees keep tens of millions of euros from the money that the government pays for that reception. Do they have to refund that?
The excess money received largely flows through to the general reserves of the municipalities, according to research by Dagblad van het Noorden.
Last year, the 22 municipalities in Drenthe and Groningen jointly received more than 133.5 million euros from the government. This was to ensure that Ukrainian residents fleeing the war in their country could be accommodated in municipal locations.
The money put on the table for this appears to be many times more than what is really needed. The municipalities jointly retain almost 40 percent after deducting the costs. The requested figures show that the Drenthe and Groningen municipalities have received more than 50.8 million euros too much.
Can that money remain in the general reserves of municipalities, or should municipalities have to return the money? Give your opinion below.