Municipality works on facilities for refugees

In order to ensure the proper registration of refugees, the municipality has temporarily opened additional counters. Refugees who are being hosted in private homes must also register with the municipality. It is important that refugees who stay in Amstelveen are included in our Basic Registration of Persons (BRP) and are given a Citizen Service Number (BSN). With a BSN they can claim certain services such as health insurance, work, living expenses and, for example, open a bank account.

Education

Over the past weeks, sports and game activities have already been organized for the children at the reception locations. Last week, a group visited the Artis Royal Zoo so they could forget their worries for a while. On Monday, March28, a daytime program started for parents and children aged 2 to 6, as well as for children aged 6 to 12 and 12 to 18. This program is organized in the Griffioen cultural center. We estimate that approximately 100 children will participate in this daytime program which is also available for children who are being accommodated in private homes in Amstelveen. To this end, the municipality is keeping close contact with childcare organizations as well as administrators of primary and secondary schools. On Sundays, the Ukrainian Sunday School in Amstelveen is already teaching Ukrainian language and culture classes to the refugee children. The municipality has made additional space available for this activity.

Work and Income

The Dutch Government has adjusted current regulations so that refugees from Ukraine may work in the Netherlands as of April 1. In addition, we expect that, in the short-term, the government will specify the information on living allowances (for food and clothing expenses) for refugees from Ukraine. The municipality is considering possibilities to provide refugees with a living allowance in the meantime. The municipality is also evaluating whether it is desirable and feasible to speed up the registration in the BRP for refugees who have found a job.

Reception

The municipality has already accommodated some 460 people at the Ibis Hotel and the Adagio Aparthotel. This number has increased as some refugees have reported directly to these shelter facilities because they already had relatives or acquaintances staying there. In agreement with the national distribution center for refugees from Ukraine and the hotel management, the municipality is not accepting any more refugees at these shelter facilities, for now.

Additional need for information

Refugees still have many questions about municipal services and other issues. Since March 29, the Dutch Council for Refugees is holding a two hour consulting session, once a week, at the shelter facilities, just to answer questions. In addition, together with social organizations such as the Dutch Council for Refugees, the Red Cross, Participe, the Volunteer Center, Jewish Social Work and the Ukrainian community in Amstelveen, the municipality is examining which social and welfare services the refugees could possibly further need during their stay in Amstelveen.

Information

• Information and frequently asked questions are updated on the municipality's website, on a regular basis, both in Dutch and English. Ukrainians are swiftly informed in their own language at the shelter facilities and the same goes for the Ukrainian community in Amstelveen.
• Residents can address their questions about reception and assistance to Ukrainians to oekraine@amstelveen.nl.
• General information on refugee reception can be found at the webpage Ondersteuning voor vluchtelingen uit Oekraïne in Nederland on the website of the Rijksoverheid (in Dutch) 
• Those who want to welcome and support refugees can find more information on the website RefugeeHelp.