Ukrainian refugees or status holders (asylum seekers with a residence permit) are accommodated in the former town hall of Smilde for about a year. This is reported by the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, which speaks of the reception of ‘a number of families’. It is not known how many there are.
The municipality has recently received questions about Villa Maria – a commonly used name for the building – as a possible reception location. Two years ago it was announced that apartments would be built in the building. Entrepreneurs in Midden-Drenthe bought the stately building from the municipality and put 500,000 euros on the table for it.