About 833 Limburg host families have registered with Takecarebnb to receive refugees.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, registrations from Limburg have been pouring in at the Amsterdam company. “We used to have about 30 places in Limburg. Now we have 861 places. Even 15,000 nationwide,” says spokesperson Lilly Wiggers.
Drop work
With that amount of host families, the matching company between refugees and host parents even has to make choices in their work. “At first we also gave tips and advice if host families had questions. But now our priority is to speak with host families as soon as possible and find a suitable place for refugees.”
Conditions for reception
According to Wiggers, a host family does not need much. “We only have two conditions. We ask host families for a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). In addition, the refugee must be able to get a closed room. Privacy is very important and someone comes from a terrible situation, so they may want to follow the news. “
Tips
The company has some tips on their site on the reception of refugees. “For example, it is important that host families and refugees talk to each other. What does someone like and what not. Can agreements be made with each other?” Takecarebnb also recommends host families to arrange reception with a group. “It can take weeks or months, so it’s helpful if there’s someone who can possibly take over the shelter,” Wiggers says.
Other nationalities
According to Wiggers, host families also need to realize that while they may volunteer to host people from Ukraine, they may be matched with refugees from other countries. “We only have a handful of Ukrainians. We tell people during a screening interview on the phone that it can also just be that they are matched with people from Syria, for example.”