The Russian dancer and media personality Euvgenia Parakhina criticized the municipality of Haarlemmermeer on Friday evening. She did that in the talk show Op1. What she especially struggles with is the policy surrounding the registration of Ukrainian refugees. Mayor Marianne Schuurmans-Wijdeven reacts to the statements. “This cannot be the intention, when I see what beautiful things are happening here.”
“They are helpless, hopeless, distraught,” says Euvgenia Parakhina. She is on her way to the Corendon hotel in Badhoevedorp. About 300 refugees have been living here for a few weeks now. “They get a fantastic stay, but they lack a citizen service number. They are not registered by the municipality, while they want to work, but it is not possible.”
bed-bath-bread
“That’s right,” the mayor nodded. “The point is, we were told on March 9 that we have to set up a thousand places in the region for refugees. On March 10 they were at the station.”
Since the municipality of Haarlemmermeer has the most hotels next to Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer received the refugees. In total, the municipality has received 750 refugees. “We have accommodated most of them in hotel rooms, so they get bed-bath-bread and then we look at how to organize it further.”
But according to Parakhina, it can be done faster. “It doesn’t have to be done in one day, but some have been here for four weeks. In that time people can really be registered.”
“It doesn’t have to be done in one day, but some have been here for four weeks”
Parakhina, who lives in the municipality herself, became involved with the refugees when she met some Ukrainians on the football field. “They looked at me wide-eyed and asked if I could help them arrange medication because there was no other way. They had so many questions and felt that they were not being heard.”
Text continues below video.
Mayor of Haarlemmermeer responds to criticism Euvgenia Parakhina – NH Nieuws
First private, then hotels
Schuurmans-Wijdeven explains that it was deliberately chosen to register the refugees in a hotel later, so that the municipality can now focus on the Ukrainians who live in people’s homes. “They do not have the opportunity to receive medical care and all kinds of other basic services, such as the people in hotels. So last week we asked them to register. Next week we will go to the hotels.”
training
Parakhina also criticized the municipality, because she believes that Ukrainian children should already be able to go to school. “For example, the director of the Plesman School in Badhoevedorp has already announced that they are ready to receive children. But the municipality only says that they are working on it. Why don’t they just go there? Then they can see for themselves that it is already possible,” says the dancer. The mayor says he is working on it: “We are organizing it. Things such as nurseries, transition classes and teachers. It is going well, in the sense that they will also receive good education.”
“I was shocked by the criticism. If you realize how many people we take in in the short term”
In addition, the mayor understands the criticism, because a number of other municipalities have registered all refugees. Still, she was shocked by Parakhina’s words at Op1. “But I was shocked. If you realize how many people we take in in Haarlemmermeer, in the short term. And we do that with a lot of commitment from the business community, the Salvation Army, and a lot of private individuals who support us in this. I thought: this is really possible. not meant to be when I see what wonderful things are happening here.” She also says on Twitter that she is proud of the way in which the basic necessities of life are arranged for the refugees in her municipality.
‘Spoiled people?’
“I also hope that support will remain for the reception of Ukrainian refugees,” said Schuurmans-Wijdeven. “Because now I hear reactions, such as: ‘are they such spoiled people?’ But they really aren’t. They’re just grateful and they understand that it takes time.”