Aug 01, 2023 at 7:21 PMUpdate: 36 minutes ago
A small group of refugees from Ukraine can still register for the scheme whereby the Netherlands helps them return to their home country. This group of third-country nationals do not have a Ukrainian passport, but were here for work or study, for example.
When the war broke out in Ukraine, people who temporarily lived there also fled the country. Initially, they were treated the same as refugees with a Ukrainian passport and were given temporary protection. Since the end of last year, so-called third-country nationals have had to go through the normal asylum procedure when they come to the Netherlands.
From 4 September, this rule will also apply to Ukrainian third-country nationals who had already come to the Netherlands last year. According to outgoing State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum), this is still a group of about 2,900 people. In January there were still nearly five thousand Ukrainian third-country nationals in the Netherlands.
The outgoing cabinet would like the rest of the group to return to their country of origin as well. If they cannot return to that country, for example because they could be persecuted there, they can apply for asylum. If they do respond to the call to return, they will receive information, a plane ticket and a one-off amount of 5,000 euros.
The arrangement was initially supposed to last until July 19, but Van der Burg has now extended it to September 16. The outgoing cabinet wants to focus as much as possible on voluntary departure. Third-country nationals who have not responded to the call after that time may be forced to leave the country.
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Municipalities were concerned about shelter
The municipalities expressed their concerns about this group of people last week. They saw that not many Ukrainian third-country nationals had yet responded to the call to return. But after September 4, they are no longer allowed in the municipal shelter. The question is where these people should stay.
Van der Burg writes that after September 4, the group is in principle no longer allowed to stay in the municipal shelter. If they have registered but still have to wait for their flight, they can still stay.
The State Secretary writes that the municipalities will receive information about what to do if someone refuses to leave the shelter. The police have also been informed.
2023-08-01 17:21:39
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