The Netherlands has several locations in mind to receive Ukrainian refugees. State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum and Migration, VVD) said this on Friday after the weekly Council of Ministers. Van der Burg did not yet say which places it concerns, because he will first have to discuss this with the municipalities where the reception locations should be located.
On Friday, the UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, announced that up to five million Ukrainians are expected to flee the war in their country. So far, they have mainly reported in Ukraine’s neighboring countries, such as Romania and Slovakia. Van der Burg said he had “no idea” how many places it should be. However, the cabinet is taking into account that some of the fleeing Ukrainians will continue to travel to Western Europe, including the Netherlands.
The state secretary also said that Ukrainians who flee to the Netherlands can go to family or friends, or a hotel, among other things. They are allowed to travel freely in Europe, do not need a visa and therefore do not have to report to the Netherlands as an asylum seeker. According to Van der Burg, Ukrainians can do that if necessary. The Netherlands then offers housing.
Ukrainians are officially allowed to stay in the Netherlands for ninety days, but Van der Burg also said that people from the Eastern European country who are already in the Netherlands and are almost crossing the three-month limit can still stay longer.
This article is also part of our live blog: Council of Europe suspends Russia from membership