NL residents support taking in Ukrainian refugees; Thousands offer room in their homes

Two-thirds of Netherlands residents (66 percent) are positive about taking in Ukrainian asylum seekers in the country, research agency Motivaction concluded in a survey of 1,024 people. That can also be seen in practice. Thousands of people registered with the Onderdak Oekraine citizens' initiative in the past 2.5 days, offering room in their homes to take in people from Ukraine. 

Motivaction's survey showed that 78 percent of Netherlands residents believe that Ukrainian asylum seekers deserve protection. Almost 70 percent call these asylum seekers brave, and 44 percent think they will positively contribute to Dutch society. Only 9 percent are negative about the reception of Ukrainians, and 8 percent expected that they will be a burden on society.

At noon on Thursday, 3,677 Netherlands residents had registered on the Onderdak Oekraine database, offering to make their homes available to shelter Ukrainian asylum seekers if necessary, initiator Huib van Mierlo said. The database is shared with the Red Cross and the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). Room For Ukraine by Louis de Mast is a similar citizens' initiative. He also reported that many people are signing up to offer a room or other living space. 

Netherlands residents are less optimistic about taking in asylum seekers who lived in Ukraine as migrant workers, Motivaction found. Only 24 percent of respondents were positive about this.