According to information requested by the news radio station BNR Nieuwsradio from the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency), more than four out of ten Ukrainian refugees found a job in the Netherlands. Registered in UWV now costs more than 31 thousand Ukrainians under temporary protection, which is much more than expected.
Employment without a special permit
Usually, when employing a person who arrived in the Netherlands from outside the EU, the employer must obtain a special permit. But for Ukrainians under temporary protection, the government canceled this rule. For the employer, only the obligation was left to report to the labor inspectorate and UWV about the employment of Ukrainians. In this regard, UWV keeps statistics on the employment of Ukrainians.
Exceeded expectations
Lisbeth van Amersfoort (Liesbeth van Amersfoort), spokesman for the UWV, notes: “We assumed that a much smaller number of Ukrainians would be able to get a job”. But the numbers speak for themselves. Most Ukrainian refugees work in hospitality, agriculture and horticulture.
Operation Warning
Exploitation remains a risk factor in the employment of Ukrainian (and not only) refugees. All workers should be paid the same for doing the same work, and employers should not be tempted to pay refugees less.
Given the aging of the population and the scarcity of the labor market, it will be necessary to look more positively at the contribution that migrants can make to society. Thijs Reuten (Thijs Reuten), MEP for the PvdA (Labor Party), says: “It is important that migrants learn the language. And employers should look at the opportunities for refugees. Not everyone is poorly educated.".
Integrated asylum policy in the EU
According to Reuthen, the EU needs an integrated asylum and immigration policy: “So that people do not sail to the EU by boat, legal routes to Europe are needed. And the elements of a special directive on temporary protection for Ukrainians can be used for other refugees as well.”.
Demand for staff
According to UWV, there is a strong demand for staff, temporary or longer term, as well as seasonal workers. And people who are fleeing the war and want to do something can make a positive contribution to the development of the economy.
For employment - six months instead of five years
Based on reports from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), on average, refugee status holders can only start working five years after their arrival in the Netherlands. But thanks to a temporary change in European rules specifically for refugees from Ukraine, these people can find work much faster. In the Netherlands, this period is about six months.
“The rule change has had a positive effect and we should learn from it”Reuthen says. “Prospective refugees who are still in the asylum procedure should be admitted to the labor market faster”.
Publication Date: 05.09.2022
