Share of refugees from Ukraine doubts about papers

Some of the refugees from Ukraine may not yet register with a municipality, because they doubt whether this is possible, reports the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). Refugees from Syria, for example, who lived in Ukraine with a residence permit, are not always sure whether they have the correct papers.

Refugees who do not have a Ukrainian passport, but who have resided lawfully in that country, receive the same status in the Netherlands as refugees with a Ukrainian passport. This means that, unlike many asylum seekers, they are also allowed to work and are entitled to financial assistance. This concerns people who previously fled another country and lived in Ukraine with a residence permit, or, for example, students from African countries with a study visa.

In order to exercise their rights, this group must also register with the municipality, just like people with a Ukrainian passport. But they sometimes have doubts, according to a spokeswoman for the IND. “Can I register with these papers or not?” they wonder. Last week, the service visited the reception location near Harskamp as a trial to help, together with the Marechaussee and the municipality, in identifying the refugees who are in doubt.

Registration

“The vast majority had the necessary documents,” explains the spokeswoman. The service is still looking at how refugees throughout the Netherlands can be helped with their identification. The spokeswoman is not yet able to say when that help will be available. She acknowledges that until then there are people in the Netherlands with the right papers, who are not yet exercising their rights. It is not clear how many people are involved.

In addition, a small part of the refugees from Ukraine do not have the correct documentation to be able to claim the special status. These are, for example, refugees from Syria whose asylum procedure in Ukraine had not yet been completed. They must apply for asylum in the Netherlands if they want to stay here. At the moment, this still has to be done in Ter Apel, but the IND is looking at whether there can be a separate registration location for this group.

The Ministry of the Interior says that anyone with the right papers can register. “We are also not getting any signals that municipalities have doubts about this.” It may be that refugees who have just arrived in the Netherlands do not yet know exactly how to arrange their registration. “So it’s only nice that the IND is helping with that.”