News item | 25-05-2022 | 4:00 pm
The Netherlands is currently hosting several tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine. Some of them are taken care of by private individuals, others by municipalities. These refugees have the right to education, care and reception. Municipalities incur additional costs to provide for this. The cabinet is making financial resources available to compensate municipalities for this. In addition, the government is taking other measures to ensure that the reception of refugees runs smoothly.
Childcare costs
The municipalities in the Netherlands are responsible for the realization of emergency shelters for displaced persons from Ukraine. The security regions coordinate this. Nearly 50,000 emergency shelters have now been created. The cabinet has decided to reimburse the costs incurred by municipalities, for example when renovating or opening buildings. When realizing shelter places, what else is needed on the housing market is taken into account. By using flexible housing, the homes can also be used for other groups in the future, for example first-time buyers.
Commission ‘accelerating temporary housing’
In order to organize housing as quickly as possible, buildings belonging to the Central Government Real Estate Agency are also made available. In addition, the ‘accelerating temporary housing’ committee has been set up. This committee, and the associated implementing organization, focuses on removing obstacles encountered by, for example, housing corporations and municipalities. One of these bottlenecks is finding suitable locations. The committee ensures that organizations such as housing corporations do not reinvent the wheel themselves every time, but that processes are standardized and accelerated. This committee also focuses on bringing together and maintaining an overview of the demand for housing and the supply of locations.
In addition to municipal shelter, a lot of shelter was provided by private individuals. To ensure that this reception runs smoothly and safely, agreements have been made with the Red Cross, Refugee Work, TakeCareBNB and the Salvation Army. These organizations receive €822,660 from the government for the costs they incurred for the start-up and first phase of the project.
Concern
Displaced persons from Ukraine can, for example, visit their GP at no cost. Healthcare providers who provide medically necessary care are compensated for this. Central government also finances the financing of interpreters who are deployed to provide care.
Refugees can also make use of more long-term care, such as care from the Social Support Act or youth care. This care is provided by municipalities. Municipalities are compensated for this from the government based on the number of refugees received.
In addition to the care for displaced persons who are already here, the Netherlands is ready in a European context to receive medical evacuees. The coordination and organization of this is carried out on the Dutch side by the LCPS, part of the National Acute Care Network (LNAZ).