Proper shelter can make real difference to Ukrainians' mental health: study

Nearly 45 percent of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands face mental health challenges. Researchers from WODC, Statistics Netherlands, and Erasmus University Rotterdam pointed out that the conditions in reception centers play a significant role. Improving these facilities could help refugees engage more fully in Dutch society, while still allowing for a possible return to Ukraine, the researchers emphasized.

According to the research, privacy, support, and contact with Dutch citizens would likely prove to be a positive contribution towards achieving this. Ukrainians who have their own kitchen or bathroom feel happier than their compatriots who have to share these facilities with others.

Because the number of host families is decreasing and the transition to the regular housing market is “struggling to get off the ground,” reception centers will likely be needed for a long time. The authors of the report therefore describe it as “important to ensure high-quality accommodation that contributes to the mental health of the residents.”

Contrary to popular belief, Ukrainians staying in municipal reception centers are more likely to have paid work than refugees living with host families: 60 percent of the first group work, compared with 50 percent in the much smaller second group. These figures are much higher than for other refugee groups, who are subject to different procedures and restrictions on employment.

“Our research shows that Ukrainians in municipal reception centers are more likely to find work through the municipality, through employment agencies, or by approaching employers directly,” the authors of the report wrote. They suspect that people in this type of accommodation are “more visible” to authorities and employment agencies.

Although Ukrainians find a relatively high number of jobs in the Netherlands, their labor conditions are often not so beneficial. They often earn less money than people from other population groups who do similar jobs, including Eastern European migrants. They also have to work on temporary contracts more often.

For the cabinet, the policy has to be geared towards the shelter being temporary. According to the researchers, improving reception facilities does not conflict with that principle. They see “no demonstrable effect on intentions to stay in the short or long term.”