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Today, the IND is opening the sixth location where registered refugees from Ukraine can get proof of residency – by appointment – in Deventer. Last week, locations opened for Ukrainians in Assen, Nieuwegein and Amsterdam, and earlier in Rijswijk and Den Bosch. With these six locations, the IND hopes that everyone will be able to make an appointment before 1 September.
Until now, the IND has been able to issue proof of residency – usually by means of a sticker in the passport – to over 5000 people. The intention is to put another 5000 stickers the coming week, and then between 6000 and 12.000 stickers per week on condition that enough staff are available to do this.
Two experienced IND staff members work at each sticker location, who manage a team of agency workers. However, in the current, stretched labour market it is a challenge to recruit enough staff. With the assistance of employment agency Start People, we are now looking for extra people who want to help at our sticker locations in the very short term – and can help refugees from Ukraine obtain their proof of residency this way.
With the sticker, Ukrainians can demonstrate that they are staying legally in the Netherlands and come under the European Temporary Protection Directive. This allows them to live and work in the Netherlands until at least 4 March 2023. Thanks to the Directive, they are also eligible for an allowance, reception, medical care and education for minor children.
The IND is doing all it can to make sure that everyone can pick up their sticker before 1 September – because soon the visa-free period for the group of displaced Ukrainians expires and it would be extra nice for them to be able to demonstrate that they are staying in the Netherlands legally. Should we not succeed in time, for example because of the aforementioned staffing shortage, the IND, together with other governments and organisations involved, will ensure that this has no consequences for this group of refugees from Ukraine.
All refugees from Ukraine who are registered with a local council are given the opportunity to pick up proof of residency at an IND location. They can make an appointment for one of these locations via the online appointment tool, which was created in cooperation with the Dutch Council for Refugees. New appointments are being made available every day, depending on the number of deployable staff. The IND recommends checking the appointment tool regularly and selecting an appointment in the own region.
Registering the right of residence of displaced Ukrainians is an extra task for the IND, whose operations are currently already under pressure. For example, in addition to the Ukrainians, we are receiving more asylum applications than the organisation is equipped for. Moreover, the performance of our social duty is becoming increasingly complex and we are recruiting a many new staff.
Are you interested in helping at one of these locations? Information about the vacancies is available via https://startpeople.nl (vacancies only available in Dutch, search for loketmedewerker). Other vacancies are available on Work for | IND.