First refugees from Ukraine report to Ter Apel

The COA, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, has called on municipalities to make locations available to receive refugees from Ukraine. The United Nations fears that 4 million Ukrainians will be displaced if the situation in the country does not improve. The European Commission even assumes 7 million refugees. More than 400,000 people have already fled Ukraine because of the war, according to the UN.

Van der Burg said earlier that the cabinet is making an effort to receive refugees from Ukraine. “Now there are dozens, but that could soon be hundreds, or several thousand. At least we are prepared for that.”

Ukrainians can travel freely to the European Union without a visa. As a result, an asylum application is not a condition for legal residence in the Netherlands for 90 days. The government is considering extending that period. That may be up to two years, but that is not certain yet. According to Van der Burg, that depends on the situation in Ukraine.

The COA reports that there is a shortage of reception places for refugees in the Netherlands. Without the influx of refugees from Ukraine, 7010 reception places are still needed before 1 July.

“Over the past six months, we have realized thousands of extra reception places with municipalities,” says Milo Schoenmaker, chairman of the board. For example, asylum seekers are received in the Expo Assen and on a boat in Meppel, but extra space has also been made in the asylum seekers’ centers in Hoogeveen and Emmen. “It is a special time for municipalities around the elections, a time to normally take a break, but that cannot be the case now. We see that action is required and call on municipalities to quickly adopt new locations. wear.”

The CDA in Meppel has already asked the college of mayor and aldermen whether the municipality of Meppel is prepared to make places available for refugees from Ukraine in the short term.