There are no places left in shelters in the Netherlands for Ukrainian refugees who continue to arrive in the country

The Netherlands is experiencing a shortage of places to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, who continue to arrive in the country.

This was reported by the local outlet NOS.

At present, there are more than 97,000 places in municipal shelters in the Netherlands, and almost all of them are occupied. In some cases, refugees are already being turned away. There is a high risk that, due to a lack of funding, some cities will even have to close existing shelters.

Centers for accommodating refugees, where Ukrainians are housed, are often not municipally owned and require rental payments. Expanding the network of centers is difficult because converting former office spaces into shelters often requires financial guarantees.

Meanwhile, around 300 Ukrainians continue to arrive in the country every week. Most are women and children, but some are men who are aware that there is work in the Netherlands.

The Dutch Association of Municipalities has described the situation as extremely critical and called on the government to take action. Their position is complicated by the fact that municipalities are legally not allowed to refuse settlement to people who apply. In Groningen, there was a case where Ukrainian citizens appealed a refusal in court, won the case, and the city filed an appeal. Municipalities are demanding a “long-term plan and additional funding” from the government.

The Ministry of Asylum and Migration has assured that it is aware of the problem and is exploring possible solutions.

Recently, calls were made in the Netherlands to begin immediately sending Ukrainian men living in the country back to Ukraine.

Earlier this summer, it became known that working Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands will be required, starting in October, to pay more for living in government shelters.