1/3 The refugee boat in the marina of Lage Zwaluwe. (photo: Raoul Cartens)
In the marina of Lage Zwaluwe, the cruise ship Johann Strauss is working hard so that the first forty Ukrainian refugees can be received on Monday. Officials from the municipality of Drimmelen, Red Cross employees, firefighters who come to check safety. It is all hands on deck to have the ‘refugee boat’ ready for Monday.
Two floors of bedrooms with neatly laid beds are still empty. In a small room, ICT people are busy arranging the Wi-Fi and generators are placed on the quay to ensure that the ship has enough power.
“They are supposed to come in pairs.”
Up to 144 Ukrainian refugees will temporarily live on the 110-meter long cruise ship until April 1. Jos van Gerven is the project leader of the shelter and shows a double room: “With a private bathroom and TV. The intention is that the Ukrainians come in pairs, so partners or parent and child. We also have a large shared living room and a restaurant where people eat three times a day.”
A stay on a cruise ship seems like a luxury, but after four months it will probably get tired. “But it is still more pleasant than being in a war zone where they drop bombs every day and you have to fear for your life.”
The refugees do not have to stay on the boat all the time. “We’re going to see what people are interested in. If they want to work, we’ll talk to employers and we’ll look at what our guests want to do in their free time.”
Most refugees have had to leave almost everything behind in the war zone. “That is why we are going to see what extra clothing people need, together with the Salvation Army, but there are also initiatives in Lage Zwaluwe to collect clothes,” says Van Gerven.
The cruise ship will leave the marina again in April. The shipping company will then provide trips on the Rhine for tourists.