Asylum Min. must help collect shelter contribution from working Ukrainians, MP's say
A majority in parliament wants Minister Marjolein Faber of Asylum and Migration to help municipalities collect financial contributions from working Ukrainians for their shelter. Ukrainian refugees with paid work have been obliged to contribute to their reception since July 1, but hardly any municipalities are collecting the money, De Telegraaf found in a survey of the Dutch municipalities.
“From Amsterdam to Utrecht and From Groningen to Maastricht, there are concerns about the administrative red tape and a lack of options if someone does not want to pay,” De Telegraaf wrote about collecting this financial contribution from working Ukrainian refugees.
PVV parliamentarian Marina Vondeling has submitted questions about this to the Minister. “Do you agree that it is only logical that Ukrainians contribute to their shelter, especially since the Dutch have to pay for everything themselves? And will you ensure that all municipalities will collect the personal contribution?” She also wants to know when the Minister will increase the contributions as promised in the Schoof I Cabinet’s coalition agreement.
The D66 wants the government to offer municipalities more support with this extra administrative burden it’s placed on them. “It is logical and good that Ukrainians now partly pay for their own shelter. However, we immediately warned that collecting this contribution would result in a lot of extra administration for municipalities. Unfortunately, they do not receive any help with this extra task. It is incomprehensible that the government is now leaving municipalities that make shelter for Ukrainians hanging in the lurch,” D66 MP Anne-Marijke Podt told the Telegraaf. “They do not even respond to the municipalities’ concerns. So, don’t just shout; also ensure that it becomes reality.”
CDA leader Henri Botenbal agrees that it is “fair” for Ukrainians with an income to contribute to their shelter and for the government to offer municipalities the support they need to achieve this. “It is the task of the Cabinet to ensure that municipalities do not get bogged down in bureaucracy but can collect that contribution in a decent manner.”
GroenLinks-PvdA has raised concerns about the implementation of this measure for some time, parliamentarian Kati Piri told the newspaper. “The income varies per month because Ukrainians often have temporary and irregular work. In addition, municipalities have to incur costs and hire people to get the administration in order. It is much more effective to ask Ukrainians who have sufficient income from work for a voluntary contribution,” she said.
