Brabant municipalities are diligently looking for shelters for Ukrainian refugees. This is apparent from a tour of Omroep Brabant. The province is also involved in that search. Many people from Brabant want to do something for the refugees from Ukraine, but a lot still needs to be coordinated.
No one is yet able to designate specific locations for reception. Most municipalities are still waiting for instructions from the ministry and the province. According to a spokesman for the province, it is almost certain that of the expected seven million refugees from the country, some will also end up in Brabant. “We often talk about reception in the region, now we are the region,” says the provincial spokesperson.
Solidarity
Mayor Hans Janssen of the municipality of Oisterwijk speaks on behalf of all municipalities in the Central Brabant region: “A lot of citizens, organisations, companies and municipal councils let us know that they want to make a contribution to the people who have been displaced by the war. The penetrating images from Ukraine spark an enormous movement of solidarity. We want to steer that solidarity in the right direction.”
The municipality of Tilburg is also one of the first to announce that it will be hospitable, but cannot point to anything concrete yet.
Shortage of places
The COA, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, is very concerned about the reception. According to a spokesperson, there was already a huge shortage of 7,000 places for asylum seekers, and the new flow of refugees only makes it more difficult. The COA called on municipalities to supply new locations on Sunday.
According to the COA, Ukrainians do not need to apply for a visa for a short stay because they are European. If they want to stay longer, they must start their asylum procedure via the normal reception locations in municipalities.
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