Dutch municipalities cannot provide housing for Ukrainians
Dutch municipalities are facing serious difficulties in providing shelter for Ukrainian refugees due to a lack of available accommodation. According to information published by NOS, the situation in this area is causing significant concern among local authorities.
This is reported by AgroReview
Overcrowding in municipal centers
Municipal centers for refugees in the Netherlands have been overcrowded for a long time, leading to an increasing number of refusals to provide shelter for Ukrainians. The Dutch Association of Municipalities (VNG) recently sent a concerned letter to the country’s Prime Minister, stating that the situation requires urgent action. The mayors of the four largest cities have appealed to the Ministry of Asylum and Migration to take measures.
Rutger Groot Wassink, a councilor in the municipality of Amsterdam, emphasized that this week the city was forced to deny shelter to dozens of people who were left homeless. According to him, it is impossible to redirect refugees to other cities, as there are fewer than 35 available spots across the country, with an occupancy rate of 99.8%.
Trends and challenges
Currently, over 120,820 Ukrainians are registered in the Netherlands, of which 93,770 are in municipal refugee centers. The occupancy rate of these centers has remained near 100% for several months. Municipalities have reported a lack of adequate support from the government and criticize insufficient compensation for accommodation, which complicates the creation of new places for refugees.
It is expected that due to the unstable geopolitical situation, the number of Ukrainians in the Netherlands will continue to rise. They fall under the European Temporary Protection Directive (RTB), which grants them the right to housing and education until March 4, 2026. However, more than 27,000 registered Ukrainians are currently not receiving assistance in municipal centers and are finding housing on their own.
Moreover, starting this year, the government has reduced compensation for housing refugees from 61 to 44 euros per day, which has caused financial difficulties for municipalities. The Red Cross is recording an increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees seeking assistance with accommodation. In December and January, more than 200 Ukrainians sought help, and in February, their number rose to 400. Nevertheless, the organization can only provide temporary accommodations in hotels for a maximum of three nights, which is insufficient to address the issue.
The House of Representatives of the Netherlands plans to hold debates on the situation regarding the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees to discuss possible solutions to this complex problem.