One year of war: 82,000 Ukrainians fled to Netherlands; Third definitely want to return

Around 82,000 Ukrainians have fled to the Netherlands since the war broke out a year ago, Statistics Netherlands reported Thursday. Nearly 16,700 of them left the Netherlands again by January 1 this year. The others have found places to live across the Netherlands. Over a third definitely want to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.

In absolute numbers, most Ukrainian refugees are living in the four large cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag, and Utrecht. Rozendaal in Gelderland was the only municipality that did not have a single Ukrainian refugee resident on November 1.

Compared to inhabitant numbers, Renswoude in the province of Utrecht has the most Ukrainian refugee residents at 33 per 1,000. Gennep in Noord-Limburg has 22 per 1,000 residents, and Pekela in Groningen has 17 per 1,000.

Over a third of Ukrainians in the Netherlands plan to return to their homeland when it’s safe, NOS found after surveying 247 Ukrainian refugees with the Oppora Foundation. A third don’t want to return. They often include people from areas hit hard by the war or families with children in a Dutch primary school.

The other third aren’t sure yet. In addition to concerns about safety in Ukraine, their chances of finding work and owning a home in the Netherlands play significant roles in their considerations.

Almost all Ukrainians who responded to the broadcaster’s survey said they need better access to Dutch and English language lessons.

Minister Karien van Gennip of Social Affairs announced on Wednesday that the Cabinet would make 15 million euros available to help Ukrainians in this area. The money will go to municipalities, which will arrange language lessons for this group of refugees.

Van Gennip acknowledged that many Ukrainians encounter problems integrating into the Netherlands because they don’t know the language. “They often speak a little English but no Dutch, and you need that as a basis for a lot of jobs,” she said.

Tomorrow marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the past year, some 5,000 Red Cross volunteers have helped Ukrainians who fled to the Netherlands in different ways, the aid organization said. “They dedicated themselves to ensuring that people are well cared for and receive the right information. Where necessary, they also provided first aid and a listening ear,” the Red Cross said.

Red Cross volunteers helped refugees find their way to municipal shelters or host families and helped them find family members separated during their flight. They also handled telephone help lines and chat services to answer questions about shelters, how to get the documentation needed to stay in the Netherlands, where to find medical help, and how to find work.