Many shelters for Ukrainian refugees not yet occupied

The Psychiatric Hospital Onze-Lieve-Vrouw in Bruges is one of the locations where the city of Bruges houses Ukrainian war refugees. There are now 37 of them. The city has a total of 109 available places, but only 64 or a good half have been taken. The 32 beds at private individuals who have registered via #spotvrij are not yet occupied.

“We expected the influx to be faster,” says Mayor Dirk De fauw. “There is now a leeway, they say in the number of people entering our country. But if the war continues, and it seems that way, there will certainly be a second or third wave.”

Prefer big cities

It also appears that Ukrainian refugees prefer to be accommodated in the big cities. “That is something we also hear from people from Afghanistan and Iraq who enter our country. If we let them choose, they mainly choose the large cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent because there is the greatest concentration of compatriots there. They know the most. people in those big cities.”

Nevertheless, Bruges plans to expand the offer to 2000 places. The other cities and municipalities are also looking for additional places. In the meantime, 153 Ukrainians have registered in Kortrijk, 136 in Ostend and 55 in De Haan. 78 Ukrainians have registered in Roeseloare, mainly from private individuals. There are emergency villages, but a decision will not be made until June.