Dutch minister says Ukrainian men should arrange their own housing

That is according to NOS, Ukrinform reports.

"This statement came in response to an appeal from the Red Cross and municipalities, which are increasingly struggling to house Ukrainians. Due to the overload of the system, many people are forced to sleep on the streets or in cars," the statement said.

Keijzer stated that the Netherlands was reaching the limits of its capacity to provide shelter.

She said it is entirely reasonable to expect that men who are working and have income will find and pay for their own housing.

"For example, with relatives who are already here," she added, noting that they could also turn to their employers. "Dutch citizens who work also provide housing for themselves," the minister said.

She stressed that this approach was not harsh toward people fleeing the war. "After all, they still receive protection here," she said. At the same time, she emphasized that mothers with children would continue to be given shelter. "They cannot be told: find your own housing," she said.

Keijzer also said that Ukrainians who had arrived in the Netherlands via other EU countries should be encouraged to return to those states.

According to reports, Dutch municipalities have around 97,000 housing places for Ukrainians displaced by Russia's full-scale invasion, all of which are full, while hundreds of new refugees continue to arrive each month. In August, the Red Cross received a record 435 requests for assistance from Ukrainians.

"There has already been a shortage of places for a year, and still no solution," said Suzanne Segaar of the Red Cross. "We are talking about children traveling alone, people with war injuries, or mothers with children who have nowhere to go. Even the Red Cross cannot help these people," she added.

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