Government thinking about ‘refugee villages’ to house Ukrainians: NRC

The government is considering the option of housing Ukrainian refugees in so-called refugee villages as their number may run into the hundreds of thousands in the next six months, the NRC reports.

The paper had access to a government inventory in which the possibility of setting up such villages, which could house thousands of Ukrainians, is mentioned but without much detail.

The document, of which the official status is unclear, also said Ukrainians could assist the police in maintaining public order in the villages as a form of ‘self organisation’.

However, police quoted in the document are concerned that the villages could leave the Ukrainians open to exploitation. They also warn that ‘identification’ is important to exclude refugees from other countries from mixing in.

Ukrainian refugees do not have to go through the regular refugee procedures.

Refugee aid group Vluchtelingenwerk has also said the plan would be divisive and would hinder the integration of refugees who stay in the Netherlands for a longer period or even permanently, the Telegraaf reported.

The government has asked the 25 safety boards to come up with 50,000 places to accommodate refugees and thousands of private citizens have also offered to host refugee families.