Ukrainian refugees have been living in reception centers across the province of Drenthe for months. One of those reception centers is in Papenvoort, municipality of Aa en Hunze. The shelter has now been running for almost 200 days. Uncertainty about the war in their own country keeps Ukrainian refugees here.
Yulia from Chernihiv and Lisa from Kiev have been in the Netherlands for four months now. The ladies do not want to be called by their last name. In June, Yulia accidentally ended up in the Netherlands, together with her children and mother-in-law. Her husband, mother and brother are still in Ukraine. She is in daily contact with them.
Lisa also came to the Netherlands with her three children in June. Like Yulia, she ended up in the Netherlands by accident. She was going to go to another country, but couldn’t get in touch with the driver. Eventually she ends up in Papenvoort. “We didn’t plan it. We just wanted to be safe,” says Lisa. She is still in touch with the home front. They stay informed about the war through chat groups and the internet. “At the moment it is not safe to go back to Ukraine,” said Yulia. Although she would like to.
About 200 people can be accommodated in Papenvoort. There are seven buildings available where people can stay. In some buildings, families can stay with their pets. It is mainly women and children who are taken care of in Papenvoort. Men had to stay behind in Ukraine to fight.
The families who come here have many questions. Every day people are in the office of one of the buildings to answer the questions of the refugees. “If they just come here, they have to be registered,” says location manager Marga Boonstra. She helps answer those questions and obtain a citizen service number (BSN) and, for example, a bank account.
The children also go to school. There is a primary school on the site where the children are taught. The children go to Assen for secondary education. The children of Yulia and Lisa go to school, where they also receive Dutch lessons. The ladies also receive language lessons once a week. They can introduce themselves and know other basic words like ‘thank you’.