Several Limburg municipal councils are discussing the possible reception of refugees from Ukraine. The subject is on the agenda in Sittard-Geleen, Venlo and Peel en Maas.
Due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, large numbers of civilians are trying to flee the country. More than 500,000 inhabitants have already fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations.
Venlo
One of the municipalities in which the subject is discussed is Venlo. There, candidate councilors from DENK, Forum for Democracy and the Venlo Seniors Party raised the subject on a radio program by broadcaster Venlo† According to the candidate councilors, the reception must be arranged quickly when the municipality is asked to open a reception location for Ukrainian refugees.
Also read: More solidarity demonstrations for Ukraine
“You should always help people in need”, says Wout Weijmans (VSP). The other candidates agreed with that during the program. Lars Heuvelmans (Forum for Democracy) did indicate that clear conditions should be attached to any new reception location.
Peel and Maas
Questions have also been submitted in Peel en Maas about the reception of refugees. It concerns PvdA/GroenLinks, reports Broadcasting P&M† The faction would like to know whether preparations are being made and wants locations for quick reception facilities to be found.
Party chairman Annigje Primowees also proposes a citizens’ initiative in which citizens who would like to receive refugees temporarily, report this to the municipality.
Sittard-Geleen
In Sittard-Geleen, the GroenLinks group raises the issue. In a letter to the mayor and aldermen, party chairman Math De Loo writes that Sittard-Geleen has ‘shown its good side in the past by offering shelter to refugees where possible’.
The faction wants that again and asks whether the municipality has already received a request from the national government. Otherwise, GroenLinks proposes that Sittard-Geleen take the initiative itself.
Also read: University lecturer on Ukraine: ‘Logic is gone’
Reception locations
Because Ukrainians are allowed to travel freely through the European Union, they do not have to apply for asylum for a stay of up to 90 days. If they do make an application, they can go to asylum seekers’ centres. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has announced that it is currently unknown how many refugees come to the Netherlands and then apply for asylum.
The Refugee Work Netherlands is calling on mayors to set up more reception locations as soon as possible, partly because of an existing shortage of reception locations.
More reception locations are needed as soon as possible. For months, the quality of emergency shelters has fallen through the humanitarian lower limit. With the arrival of Ukrainians, waiting longer is no longer an option.
Mayors, now is the time to take responsibility. https://t.co/30CCkKrUbI
— Refugee Work Netherlands (@Refugee Work) February 27, 2022