Nearly 28,000 Ukrainians in government shelters; Space for another 13,700

Government shelters are currently housing 27,842 people from Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice and Security reported. That means that more than 3,100 Ukrainians arrived at shelters since Thursday. This figure includes people who have fled the Russian violence or those who may have already resided in the Netherlands and cannot return to their home country because of the war.

A total of 41,743 beds have now been made available for incoming refugees in the 25 security regions across the Netherlands. That is considerably more than on Thursday, marking an increase of 7,818. The mayors at the head of the regions agreed with the Cabinet last month that they would create 50,000 reception places as soon as possible.

Ukrainians who have been taken in by private persons, or who have shelter in some other way, are not included in the official reception figures released on Monday

Furthermore, 31,340 Ukrainians have registered with the municipalities so far. That is 3,406 more than last Thursday. Registration in the municipal inhabitants registry is important because it allows the government to arrange facilities for refugees, such as healthcare and education. These figures also include people who are not being taken care of by the government directly, but who are helped through other means.

Last week, the ministry indicated that the government wants to be prepared for the possible arrival of 150,000 Ukrainians in the Netherlands. Currently, the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees are being received in countries that border Ukraine, specifically Poland and Moldova.