News item | 29-07-2022 | 16:30
The number of refugees from Ukraine in the Netherlands has been rising slightly faster than the number of municipal shelters for this group for several months now. As a result, the occupancy rate is slowly rising towards 95 percent and beyond. This puts pressure on the reception capacity for refugees from Ukraine. In order to prevent an actual shortage of reception places, we are currently working hard in collaboration with Security Regions and municipalities to realize additional reception places for Ukrainian refugees.
Realize extra places
In addition to the crisis in the regular asylum reception, the reception capacity for refugees from Ukraine is also under considerable pressure. Additional reception capacity is needed to continue to receive these people. Last week, the occupancy rate rose to 94 percent. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, security regions and municipalities have worked hard to create 57,000 reception places for refugees from Ukraine. We as Rijk are very grateful for this. This number is expected to increase to 60,000 available childcare places in the coming weeks. Municipalities, security regions and the government are still working hard to realize a total of 75,000 places.
In addition to increasing the reception capacity, the influx is also being looked at. Since 19 July, third-country nationals with a temporary residence permit in Ukraine, such as a work or study visa, are excluded from the Temporary Protection Regulation (RTB), which is expected to lead to a lower influx into municipal reception.
These are small steps that ensure that a shortage of shelter places is averted in the short term. But additional reception places are still needed to be able to continue to receive refugees from Ukraine not only now, but also in the longer term. It is important that we have some slack; the situation in Ukraine is unpredictable and the influx from other EU countries cannot be fully predicted either.
Private reception
In addition to municipal shelters, private shelters can contribute to easing the pressure on reception capacity. Through the RefugeeHomeNL consortium, 11,000 private reception locations have been screened and found to be suitable. Approximately 5,000 of these have already supplied the required VOG. These locations can accommodate approximately 13,350 refugees from Ukraine. At the moment 1,110 Ukrainians are received by private individuals through this consortium. Together with the VNG, Security Regions and the Red Cross, we are working to ensure that these private reception options are used as fully as possible and that they are brought to the attention of Ukrainians in order to limit the pressure on the Municipal Reception.
Facts and numbers
There are currently 71,750 refugees from Ukraine registered with the BRP. These persons reside in municipal and private shelters, or have found independent shelter. 33 percent of these are men and 67 percent are women.
About 170 Ukrainians left with the help of the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V).
Refugees from Ukraine show a great willingness to contribute to our society. Some 26,120 Ukrainian refugees have now found paid work. They no longer claim the available living money that is available for these refugees.
In total, approximately 23,200 children and young people under the age of 18 fled from Ukraine to the Netherlands. 12,300 children of primary school age have been attending primary education since the start of the war. In addition, 6,990 children went to secondary education.