Diemen supports Ukraine

Current reception

Currently, a portion of the refugees has been sheltered in a hotel in the south of Diemen. The other refugees have been received by citizens of Diemen. Meanwhile, the municipality is researching long term possibilities.

Receiving refugees in your home 

Refugees that you host in your own home must register themselves at the city hall. The main resident has to provide permission for this. The refugees will be registered in the Basis Registratie Personen (BRP). This wil make them eligible for facilities such as education and allowance. If you want to register a refugee living at your house, make an appointment with Burgerzaken. Please contact Burgerzaken by the following telephone number: +31 20 31 44 888.

Allowance/living component

Refugees that are registered at and are sheltered by the city hall will receive a preliminary allowance. This is a grant for clothing and other personal expenses. Refugees that are being sheltered privately will be compensated for their living component. The refugees themselves will receive this money. The host will not receive any money. The allowance will not be given to minors but to their parents. The allowance will be transferred to a bank account whenever possible.

On this page you will find an overview of how you can offer your help to refugees. You will find this overview below: 

•    Through the city hall. If you want to offer help, please send an email to vluchtelingen@diemen.nl

•    You can also offer your help or provide shelter to refugees through Vluchtelingenwerk.

•    Diemen voor Elkaar: Offering help is also possible via Diemen voor Elkaar.

Donating money for Ukrainian refugees

You can contribute to medical care, food, shelter, clean water, and psychosocial care by donating to Giro 555. The Red Cross is one of the cooperating organizations behind Giro 555.

Opening a bank account

Currently, there are two banks where refugees can open an account for free: the Bunq bank and the ING bank. You can find their websites here: 

• Bunq bank
• ING bank

Dutch language lessons for adults in Ukrainian 

This website provides refugees with useful tips and tricks for learning Dutch.

Education

Refugees from Ukraine between the ages of 5 and 17 have a right to education. The children and teens will be placed into newcomer classes (primary education) or international bridging classes (secondary education). These classes have been especially designed for newcomers and will provide students with extra language classes to learn Dutch and with support to cope with trauma. Children up to the age of 12 will be enrolled at one of Diemen’s eight primary education schools. Children aged 12 and up must enroll at ISK. The ISK is the international bridging class in Amsterdam. More information about enrolment can be found on the website and this leaflet.

Online education in Ukrainian

• Online classes for children aged between 3 and 6: NUMO
• Online classes (various ages, from 4 to 17; art therapy, math, storytelling): New Ukrainian school
• Online channel (Telegram) with a daily activity schedule that focuses on physical and mental health (various ages): DityOekraÏeny
• Distance education by the Ukrainian Ministry of OCW:  Як користуватися | ВШО 

Healthcare

Refugees from Ukraine will always receive medically required care from basic health insurance. Ukrainian refugees can be treated by doctors and midwives without having to pay for it. The care provider can request a refund for the costs at the government through a provision called ‘CAK-regeling’.

• Referral to a specialist
  If a patient wants to consult a specialist in a hospital, this has to be discussed with a general practitioner first (unless it concerns a life threatening situation). During the evening and night (between 17.00 and 08.00 uur) there is a ‘huisartsenpost’. If your medical situation cannot wait until the next day you can contact the huisartsenpost. 
• Dentist
  You do not need a referral for dental care. You can make an appointment yourself, and you pay for the bill. You also pay for orthodontic care. Only emergency dental care is compensated. 

Work

Starting April 1st, refugees from Ukraine are allowed to work for an employer. This applies to refugees that fall under the Temporary Protection Directive of the European Union. The employer does not need a work permit. You can read more on this subject here. You can read more about this subject here (only in Dutch). 

Documents
In order to work, refugees from Ukraine need a document that states their legal status as a temporarily protected person and a citizen service number (Burgerservicenummer or BSN).
During the transition period from March 4 till May 30 2022, the exemption of the work permit applies to all Ukrainian citizens that can confirm their identity with an official document. Furthermore, the government aims to expand this transition period in April to:  
•    Stateless persons and citizens of other countries except Ukraine who can prove that they received international protection in Ukraine on February 23, 2022, or who posess a valid residence permit that has been granted according to Ukrainian law.