Netherlands: Ukrainian Refugees Obliged to Hold a Sticker of O-Document From Nov. 1
The government of the Netherlands has announced that it has introduced new changes regarding refugees from Ukraine who are staying and plan to work in this country.
According to the recent statement provided by the government, starting from November 1, refugees can prove that he is covered by Temporary Protection Directive if they hold a sticker of an O-document that has been issued by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) in the Netherlands, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
All Ukrainians or those who legally resided in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can request a sticker or O-document in their passport from IND. The O-document is proof that shows they reside in the Netherlands under the Temporary Protection Directive and have access to the labour market.
It has been clarified that since April 1, there will be an exemption from work permits for employers in the Netherlands who want to employ refugees from Ukraine. From April, they were given the opportunity to collect the correct documents from IND, which proves their status as temporarily displaced.
“This transitional arrangement will expire on October 31. This means that as of November 1 2022, a refugee can only demonstrate that he is covered by the Temporary Protection Directive if he is in possession of a sticker or O-document issued by the IND. Only with these documents can it be demonstrated that the refugee is allowed to work as an employee without a work permit,” the statement reads.
The European Commission previously activated the Temporary Protection Directive, which was introduced in order to help refugees from Ukraine to remain in European countries for at least one year and also have access to the labour market.
The directive also offers protection to non-Ukrainian citizens who are not able to return to their country of origin.
“Others who are legally present in Ukraine for a short-term and are able to return safely to their country of origin will fall outside the scope of this protection. Nevertheless, they should be allowed access to the EU to transit prior to returning to their countries of origin,” the statement clarified.
Last month, IND revealed that about 45,000 residence permits had been issued for citizens of Ukraine.
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service warned that it would stop issuing residency stickers for Ukrainians in September due to a lack of raw materials while stressing that issuance of such stickers would resume again in October.
