Netherlands: 1000 refugees accommodated on cruise ship due to lack of space in asylum

Some 1,000 refugees are currently accommodated on a cruise ship moored at the Westelijk Havengebied in Amsterdam because there are not enough reception places for asylum seekers in the Netherlands.

The measure started in October 2022 and is meant to be a “temporary solution”. The dock is normally used as a berth for cruise ships, yachts and other vessels and is far removed from shops and public transportation.

In exchange for mooring the ship, the municipality negotiated with the interior ministry to accelerate the construction of 2,500 to 3,000 flexible homes in Amsterdam, the platform Het Parool reported last August. The first residents should move in this year.

According to UNHCR, the Netherlands has recorded 89,730 Ukrainian refugees who have presumably entered the country since the beginning of the war. Moreover, the asylum authorities recorded roughly 47,990 asylum applications between February 2022 and February 2023.

Currently, Poland has given shelter to the largest number of Ukrainian refugees. 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees were observed to have fled to Poland since Russia began an invasion of Ukraine. The majority of them fled the country by crossing the border into Poland.

As a neighbour, Poland has provided all necessary aid for Ukraine during the time of crisis. Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has consistently supported it, from sheltering refugees to providing military help.

In total, Europe is home to approximately 8 million refugees. Massive migration during the war generated several issues in some European countries. Slovak authorities reported 384 897 arrivals from Ukraine as of May 2022, of which 355 322 were Ukrainian refugees, and 13 308 were third-country nationals.