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Source: Tim Miroshnichenko
News
This changes for refugees without Ukrainian citizenship
Published at: 2/14/2023, 12:00 AM

The Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) has been extended by 6 months for refugees without Ukrainian citizenship. Below you can read what this means for you.

Will this extension apply to me?

The extension applies to people with temporary residence permits in Ukraine who registered in the Netherlands before 19 July 2022. Initially, they were allowed to stay in the Netherlands until 4 March 2023. Now they are entitled to 6 more months of protection in the Netherlands.

What does this extension mean for my place at a reception centre, employment, studies and living allowance?

You can stay in municipal or private reception centre until 4 September 2023. You will also keep your rights to medical care, living allowance, education up to the age of 18 and the possibility of employment.

Do I need to do anything myself to extend my stay?

The

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
will soon inform people with a temporary residence permit in Ukraine what you need to do. The IND will ask you to apply for an O-document.

This document can be used to prove that you are entitled to temporary protection after 4 March 2023. The information you receive from the IND explains how to do this.

What happens if I have already applied for asylum?

The IND will start processing these asylum applications from now on.

If you are from a safe country of origin, Syria or Yemen, the IND will give priority to your application. The IND first processes the 1,200 applications of people from safe countries of origin. In addition, the IND also gives priority to 100 asylum applications from people from Yemen and Syria.

If you are not from a safe country of origin, Yemen or Syria, the IND will not treat your application with priority. Due to the volume of asylum applications, it may take a long period of time before your asylum application is processed.

If your asylum application was not processed before 4 September, you will probably have to leave the reception centre for refugees from Ukraine after 4 September. You will then go to the regular reception centre for asylum seekers.

Will I receive financial assistance if I want to return to my country of origin?

If you want to return to your country of origin, you can get financial support. This is called the remigration scheme of the

Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V)
. You can receive financial compensation of €2,000 from them. This is possible until 4 March 2023.

From Tuesday, 14 February, people who meet the conditions can register for this on the DT&V website. In the period after 4 March, you can use the normal return support of DT&V and IOM.

Repatriation and Departure Service
Visit the DT&V website for more information on returning to your country of origin.
What will change on 4 September 2023?

Then the right to protection under the Temporary Protection Directive expires. You cannot stay in the municipal reception centres for Ukrainian refugees after 4 September.

If you have applied for asylum in the Netherlands, from 4 September you will fall under the regulations that apply to asylum seekers. If your asylum application has been definitively rejected, you must leave the Netherlands within 28 days.

Who can help me further?

If you have any questions about your personal situation, get in touch with your contact at VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) or stop by during walk-in consultation hours.


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