The Flemish government will meet on Saturday to discuss the reception of Ukrainian refugees. An agreement is not expected until early next week, according to today’s Council of Ministers. The government is working on a plan to build fifteen emergency villages for Ukrainian refugees, spread across Flanders. For example, the efforts of the local authorities will not be sufficient to accommodate the estimated 120,000 Ukrainians who come to our country.
Read everything about the war in Ukraine in this file.
Flanders is prepared to pay for the construction of the fifteen villages itself. Moreover, almost every Flemish minister with his or her powers is indirectly involved in the project. The initiative comes at the suggestion of Flemish Minister of the Interior Bart Somers (Open Vld).
Education
Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA) must ensure that Ukrainian children do not fall too far behind in learning. It is envisaged to provide schools in the emergency villages themselves, but the existing Flemish schools will also be deployed and receive support with extra resources and people.
As far as teaching staff is concerned, the primary focus is on Ukrainians who have been living in Flanders for a long time, because they speak both languages. Contact has already been made with the embassy of Ukraine. In the second instance, refugee Ukrainian teachers could be called in, but that is a plan B because they do not speak Dutch. The aim is in any case to allow the children, once they have learned our language, to move on to regular education as quickly as possible.
Work and housing
Minister of Employment Hilde Crevits (CD&V) focuses on the labor market. The VDAB will mediate to help the refugees find a job. This will require additional language training. It is also being examined how the existing guidance processes for integrators can be accelerated. The profile of the current refugees is different from that of the average immigrant, with more highly educated people.
Family members of Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection status will also be allowed to work. To this end, the Council of Ministers has approved a draft Royal Decree (RD) from Minister of Employment Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS). Due to a decision at EU level, Ukrainian war refugees receive automatic temporary protection. This gives them a specific right of residence in our country. A RD from 2018 also arranges that people who fall under this temporary protection are given permission to work. However, that permission did not yet apply to the family members, until now.
Minister of Housing Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) wants to keep the pressure on the regular and social housing market as small as possible with the emergency villages. He did, however, request a list of homes that are vacant and need renovation from the social housing companies. They would qualify for the refugees with a quick basic renovation, without extending the waiting lists for candidate social tenants.
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