Mona Keijzer says that 540 Ukrainians come every week and receive free care and housing. Is that correct? LC figures it out

Keijzer is concerned that more and more refugees from Ukraine are coming to the Netherlands. “We now have 540 coming per week,” she said literally in an interview with NRC also appeared in LC . That’s not entirely correct, but it’s not out of the blue either.

That figure of 540 is a forecast that she took from the Spring Memorandum, she explained to Jeroen Pauw on NPO1 on Thursday evening. She acknowledged that it is a different number than the actual number that came to the Netherlands recently.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice and Security show that until last month, an average of 255 Ukrainians came to the Netherlands per week. Significantly less than the 540. And that number has not increased enormously in recent weeks.

The last week recorded by the ministry, up to April 26, 290 Ukrainians arrived. In the weeks before it varied somewhat; one week 80, the week before 230, before that 140, before that 340 and so on. The figure of 540 has never been achieved per week throughout the year.

Now still 255, but forecast 540

But in a letter from the same Ministry of Justice and Security dated April 5, a prediction is made, a so-called Multi-Year Production Forecast. According to the ministry, an average net influx of Ukrainians of between 350 and 780 is expected in the current year of 2024. The ministry writes later in the letter that it therefore expects an average influx of 540 Ukrainians per week.

Taken literally, Keijzer’s quote is not correct. There are not “now” 540 per week. But this is about context. Keijzer made her statement because she is concerned about the increasing influx of Ukrainians, the count of which stood at 109,980 at the end of April, according to the previously mentioned figures from the ministry. That number could rise to 136,000, according to the ministry’s letter about the forecast.

It is understandable that a Member of Parliament, in a discussion about an increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees, uses figures from a forecast by the ministry itself. This increase is precisely what the Multi-Year Production Forecast is about. She only used the word “now”, meaning that so many Ukrainians already come every week.

We therefore label her statement as ‘ partly correct ‘.

Free healthcare and housing?

Her other statement was that Ukrainian refugees receive free care and housing while they are also allowed to work and therefore earn money. According to her, this would have an attractive effect because the Netherlands offers a more luxurious scheme than other countries. According to State Secretary Eric van der Burg, the arrangement in the Netherlands is indeed better than in countries such as Moldova or Slovakia, but about the same or even slightly worse than in Germany.

Keijzer is right that this group of refugees has so far received free care and housing in the Netherlands. If they do not work, they also receive a living allowance per adult, consisting of clothing allowance, dining allowance and an allowance of 384.10 euros per month. That will be reduced somewhat in 2023.

There has been a discussion about living allowances and rent in the House of Representatives. According to State Secretary Van der Burg, it is not wise to make Ukrainians pay normal rent because they will then also build up tenants’ rights such as rental protection. They can then no longer be evicted.

The State Secretary has decided to soon introduce a personal contribution for Ukrainians who work. They must then contribute 105 euros per month. But that personal contribution does not yet apply. That is why we must title Keijzer’s statement as ‘ correct ‘.