Mayors want one policy for sheltering all asylum seekers, incl. Ukrainians and Africans

Bring the management of the reception of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers together, said chairman Hubert Bruls of the Security Council, the council of the mayors that head the Netherlands’ 25 security regions. The two reception flows are separate at the moment, which is untenable as numbers continue to rise. The prognosis is that 200,000 people will flee to the Netherlands by the end of next year.

The coordination of the reception of Ukrainians currently takes place via the security regions. Asylum seekers are the province’s responsibility. That must come under a single policy, according to Bruls, also the mayor of Nijmegen. How is still up for debate.

The mayors are also concerned about education and medical care for Ukrainians. There are too few teachers, and GPs can’t keep accepting new patients indefinitely. “We have to be flexible here. If regular education is not possible and the only option is a good daycare or nothing, then I will still choose the former,” Bruls said.

The Netherlands is currently taking in about 700 refugees from Ukraine every week. According to European rules, they can travel freely in Europe. They receive a living allowance, a place to stay, and can start working immediately. Bruls pointed out that this is leading to more and more discussion. All other asylum seekers have to enter the Netherlands through the asylum registration in Ter Apel and have much further to go before accessing any of those provisions. “They often live in poor conditions. You can criticize that.”

He wants the asylum distribution law to be implemented quickly to prevent further problems. Colleague Ahmed Aboutaleb from Rotterdam also argued for immediately implementing the law on January 1. “Choose the shortest route between A and B, without many approach routes,” he said. The influx of Ukrainians is leveling off, but many people are still fleeing from other countries. “That has to do with wars, drought, poverty, or political instability. What will happen with Iran and its current unrest?”