Refugees from Ukraine living in the Netherlands contributed 3.5 billion euros to economic growth in 2024.
This number is likely to increase to five billion euros in the next two years if they remain in the country, according to new research, which was highlighted by the news portal DutchNews.nl on Thursday.
According to the findings of the independent SEO Economic Research Institute, which is affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, two-thirds of Ukrainian adults who took refuge in the Netherlands after the start of Russian aggression had a working relationship.
This represents around 50,000 workers who contribute 280 million euros to the state in income tax and 85 million euros in VAT.
Under special protection rules that apply across the EU after the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukrainians can live and work in EU member states without visas or work permits.
Refugees from other countries seeking asylum are prohibited from working for the first six months of their stay in the country and must live in accommodation centers while their applications are processed. Currently, only 12 percent of asylum seekers work in the Netherlands.
In this regard, the Telegraaf newspaper quoted the words of Bart Dikkeschei from the Heroyam staffing agency, who said that Ukrainians are a “significant” contribution to the national economy.
“It costs the state a lot of money to take these people in, so it’s amazing to see that they’re able to give something back quickly,” Dikkeschei described the situation.
According to him, refugees from Ukraine are a kind of “experiment”, what happens when the state lets new arrivals go directly to the labor market without any restrictions.
“It turns out that these people integrate relatively well and are much more involved in society than people living in asylum centers,” he concluded.
From the point of view of Ukrainians, it is not always a positive experience. Many work in low-skilled positions below their educational level.
Several local authorities have already expressed concern about the poor prospects and mental health of employees, and only Ukrainian schools have closed.
Their future is uncertain, according to DutchNews.nl, because their residency status is not permanent, which may discourage them from attending language courses or vocational training to get a better-paid job.
The SEO Institute has indicated that the contribution of Ukrainians to the Dutch economy will increase to five billion euros in 2027, although much depends on the course of the war in Ukraine.
“If Ukrainians return home en masse after the end of the war, the loss of their workforce could be reflected in the Dutch economy. If 50,000 working people disappear, you get conveyor belts that stop running,” Dikkeschei described the situation. (TASR)
