No more aid: one country has established new rules for Ukrainian male refugees

The Netherlands is planning changes to the rules for Ukrainian refugee men, in particular regarding housing. This was announced by the acting Minister for Migration and Asylum, Mona Keizer.

Keizer noted that men who have found work in the Netherlands must find and pay for housing on their own. She emphasized that the country is approaching the limit of its capacity to accommodate refugees, so it would be logical if employed men could pay for housing on their own.

“There are options, for example, to stay with relatives who already live in the Netherlands,” Keizer said. The minister also confirmed that Ukrainians can contact their employers in search of housing. According to her, this is standard practice for all working people in the Netherlands.

It is worth noting that the minister does not consider this requirement to be too strict, since Ukrainians still enjoy protection in the country. “They remain under our protection,” she concluded.

Keizer also noted that, despite the new requirements, the ministry does not have the right to force people to find housing on their own, as relevant European agreements guarantee refugees access to housing and education. This especially applies to women with children, who will continue to receive support.

In addition, the minister expressed her intention to encourage Ukrainians who arrived in the Netherlands via other EU countries to return.

These decisions were a response to calls from the Red Cross and local authorities regarding the growing difficulties in accommodating refugees, as overcrowded centers force some of them to spend the night on the street or in cars.

At the moment, there are about 97 thousand places in municipalities for accommodating Ukrainians, and all of them are already filled, while new groups of people arrive every month. In August alone, a record 435 people contacted the Red Cross.