Dutch municipalities report that their shelters are at full capacity as the influx of arrivals persists.
The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) has stated that Ukrainian immigrants can no longer be accommodated in Dutch towns, as shelters have reached their maximum capacity and individuals are being refused entry.
Approximately 4.7 million people have sought refuge from Ukraine in other European nations since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv intensified in February 2022. Of these, roughly 120,000 have arrived in the Netherlands, a number that includes men who departed Ukraine to evade military mobilization.
The VNG further reported that nearly all of the 97,000 municipal shelter accommodations in the Netherlands are currently occupied, even as approximately 300 Ukrainians continue to arrive in the country each week.
Local authorities in municipalities like Utrecht and Dordrecht have indicated their inability to offer housing to new entrants. Officials attribute this situation to deficiencies in both accommodation and financial resources, urging the national government to formulate a comprehensive, long-term strategy.
Dutch authorities have cautioned that without augmented national assistance, municipalities will struggle to fulfill their statutory housing responsibilities. Among the proposals being considered is one that would require Ukrainians who are employed or have adequate income to contribute to the rent for their lodging, although a definitive decision remains pending.
Similar challenges are reportedly being encountered by other Western European nations. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Finland have all implemented measures in recent months to decrease financial aid or benefits offered to Ukrainians, citing strain on national budgets and housing availability.
Poland has reportedly seen an increase in anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz commented in March that Polish citizens were growing increasingly exasperated by “hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even more than a million young Ukrainians driving the most luxurious cars across Europe and enjoying weekends in five-star hotels.”
Just last month, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed legislation intended to extend benefits for Ukrainians, asserting that the current assistance framework requires significant revision.