Ukrainian refugees with host families can miss out on registration, aid

Ukrainian refugees living with Dutch host families could sometimes fall through the cracks of the system. This means they do not get proper information about housing allowance or finding jobs, Nu.nl reports.

There are thousands of Ukrainian refugees currently living with Dutch host families instead of in shelters arranged by the government. They are not always placed with the Dutch families through an official channel. Although most of them register with municipalities, the Ministry of Justice and Security said it has no insight into those who do not. In any case, it is still difficult for aid organizations to get a clear picture of where refugees are or what their needs are.

While living with a host family can be more pleasant for refugees, it is also a "disorganized effort," said Mariia Shaidrova, head of the Department of Displaced People at the Ukrainian Foundation in the Netherlands. "We are losing sight of these people," she said.

It is also difficult for security regions to know how many Ukrainian refugees they have, according to Nu.nl. Besides host families, refugees could also be staying with friends or relatives.

In many security regions, people who want to help refugees are referred to RefugeeHomeNL. Other security regions work with local initiatives.

Olga Nielsen of the NuTwente Foundation in the Twente Security Region said it is important that housing with a host family is arranged through the foundation. "We think it is very important that people do not get caught up in human trafficking or become victims of human trafficking," she said.