Utrecht tells Ukrainian refugees to find own shelter, possibly in another country

Several Ukrainian refugees who arrived at the shelter in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht on Tuesday received a letter advising them to find shelter themselves. “If this is not possible, we advise you to try in another country,” the letter from Veiligheidsregio Utrecht said, according to NOS. The Jaarbeurs shelter closed due to overcrowding. The letter is no longer being distributed.

The Jaarbeurs HUB in Utrecht was the first point of arrival for Ukrainian refugees. They could stay there for a short period - the intention was 24 hours - to catch their breath before moving on to other, longer-term shelter. But the available long-term shelter has dried up, and the flow from the Jaarbeurs has halted. The Utrecht arrival shelter has been at or above capacity for months. For that reason, it has only accepted “vulnerable” refugees - children, women, families with young children, people with disabilities or illnesses, and the elderly - since February.

On Monday, the shelter also stopped taking in vulnerable refugees. According to the security office, Veiligheidsregio Utrecht, “a complete closure was necessary” because it is at its limits and there is no sign of improvement. “We just can’t anymore,” a spokesperson for the municipality of Utrecht told RTV Utrecht. “We would have liked to see the flow improved, but that didn’t happen. The HUB is not suitable for longer-term shelter. That is not responsible.”

The Veiligheidsregio and the municipality regret this necessity but added that the reception of Ukrainian refugees is ultimately a national task coordinated by the national government. The HUB can only reopen once there are many more long-term shelter places available in the country.

Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma, also chairman of the Veiligheidsregio Utrecht, acknowledged that it is “far from ideal” that refugees now have to find shelter themselves. “They can always knock on the door of any municipality in the country, but we know that there is hardly any room anywhere,” her spokesperson told NOS. That is why the Veiligheidsregio advised trying another country.

About 140 Ukrainians are currently living in the Jaarbeurs. The Vieligheidsregio is trying to find them alternative shelter. Every week, over 300 Ukrainian refugees, mainly families with children, arrive in the Netherlands.

Refugees’ organization VluchtelingenWerk also regrets the closure of the Jaarbeurs and urged the national government to “take control” and solve the reception problem. The organization has “received several signals in recent weeks that people are sleeping on the streets or in cars” because they are sent from municipality to municipality, and no one has space for them.