Our government has launched an appeal asking Belgians to receive Ukrainian refugees. State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) does this with the hashtag #PlekVrij.
“There is an enormous wave of solidarity among people who have indicated that they have a free place – a room or an apartment – where they want to receive Ukrainians,” Mahdi told VTM NIEUWS. “We want to give those people the opportunity to receive refugees effectively. On a temporary basis. It is a form of crisis housing, in anticipation of a permanent place to live for these people.”
From tomorrow you can report to your municipality. “Together we can do this,” Mahdi said on Twitter, who also indicates that he received “hundreds of messages” from people who would like to take in Ukrainians.
task force
Mahdi has also brought together all partners and services that can play a role in a Task Force ‘Protection and Reception of Ukrainians’. In consultation with the National Crisis Center and the governors of our country, this Task Force has drawn up a structure to receive fleeing Ukrainians.
The federal government provides a reception center in the former Jules Bordet hospital in Brussels. There the Ukrainians will be registered, they will be able to apply for automatic protection and receive first shelter of limited duration. From there, the further dispatching will take place to local authorities for the housing of Ukrainians.
Integrate
The State Secretary will also convene an Interministerial Conference (IMC) tomorrow with competent ministers from the regions and the communities to inform them about the challenges associated with the reception of Ukrainians and to make joint efforts to integrate these people into everyday life. Sustainable housing is one aspect of this, but also letting children go to school or helping people find work.
More than 500,000 people have already fled the war in Ukraine, according to the United Nations. On Sunday, the European ministers of the Interior and Migration decided that Ukrainian refugees can count on an automatic protection status and do not have to go through an asylum procedure. They would be granted residence rights in our country for up to three years.
Read all about the conflict in Ukraine in our file.
Public health asks hospitals to prepare for receiving patients from Ukraine
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