Government decides on education and healthcare for refugees from Ukraine
Thanks to the tireless efforts of a large group of dedicated staff at municipalities and safety regions, accommodation has been found in the Netherlands for around 41.000 refugees from Ukraine, and nearly 31.000 beds are currently occupied. The initial target of basic accommodation for 50.000 people is within reach. The 75% occupancy rate, combined with the unpredictability of the war and of refugee flows to the Netherlands, underscores that we must be ready to provide accommodation for more than 50.000 people in the short term.
Besides in the reception facilities arranged by the government, thousands of people are staying with friends, family or private hosts, or in hotels.
The Netherlands stands ready to assist refugees from Ukraine in the Netherlands. To this end the Ministerial Crisis Management Committee (MCCb) made the following decisions today.
Education
Municipalities will receive funding to arrange transport for school-aged Ukrainian children who do not live near a school. Schools with experience of teaching Ukrainian pupils will receive extra funding to assist other schools. The government is also drafting a bill that will make it easier for school boards and municipalities to set up temporary educational facilities, including in regions where this is more difficult to organise. Temporary schools are needed when the regular schools in a region are no longer able to take in new pupils.
Organising access to healthcare
Refugees from Ukraine have a different status from other refugees. This also means they cannot access healthcare under the medical care scheme for asylum seekers (RMA), nor can they take out Dutch health insurance (unless they get a job in the Netherlands). The State Secretary for Justice and Security has therefore been tasked with organising access to medical care and long-term care for Ukrainian refugees. This is similar to his responsibility for regular asylum seekers.
The Ministry of Justice and Security, supported by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, is working with health insurers to draw up an implementation agreement, similar to the contract that covers asylum seekers. In principle, it will be modelled as much as possible on the existing systems, contracts and cover from the RMA. In the interim, care providers can apply to the grant scheme for essential medical care for uninsured persons (SOV). Reducing the administrative burden for care providers is being tackled with priority, and the government has already taken the first steps to this end.