Third-country nationals from Ukraine no longer have right to shelter in Netherlands

From today, some 2,540 third-country nationals from Ukraine are no longer entitled to shelter in the Netherlands. They must either apply for asylum or another form of residency or leave the Netherlands.

Third-country nationals are people who lived in Ukraine with a temporary residency permit when the war broke out. Think of students, expats, or migrant workers. They initially fell under the same temporary protection scheme as Ukrainian refugees, meaning they did not have to apply for asylum, were entitled to shelter, and were allowed to work in the Netherlands.

The government eventually decided to change that policy. It argued that the influx of refugees from Ukraine was too high to keep taking everyone in, and many third-country nationals could safely return to their country of origin.

The Netherlands planned to end the protection for third-country nationals on September 4 last year, but that date was shifted multiple times when affected people challenged the decision in courts, resulting in contradicting verdicts. In January, the Council of State, the highest administrative court in the Netherlands, ruled that the protection could end on March 4, when the European agreements regarding protection for that group expire.

Around 2,540 third-country nationals from Ukraine currently live in the Netherlands, according to NU.nl. They have 28 days from Monday to leave the country or apply for asylum or another type of residency.

The Ministry of Justice and Security has around 700 open asylum applications and 120 applications for residency to study or work in the country from this group. What the others will do is unclear.