Belgium Facilitates Access to Banking Services for Ukrainian Refugees
In a statement issued on May 11, the EU Commission stressed that refugees are also required to undertake some essential administrative procedures, including opening a bank account, as in Belgium, bank accounts are required in order for a beneficiary to receive salaries and payments in social assistance, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
“Additionally, everyday financial transactions now largely require a bank card, as payments have been progressively digitised in Belgium – many stores and restaurants are now “cashless.” Having a bank account and corresponding card has become, as a result, crucial to integration in Belgium,” the statement reads.
According to the Belgian Federation of the Financial Sector (FEBELFIN), since the start of the war in Ukraine, about 11,292 bank accounts have been opened in Belgium by refugees coming from Ukraine.
In addition, for Ukrainian refugees, these banks are also offering basic banking services, which allow them to access a checking account and a bank card with which they can make basic payments and withdraw money once they receive their salaries or benefits.
“To ensure that Ukrainians get all the right information on how to organise their banking business in Belgium, Febelfin, the federation of the Belgian financial sector, has created a folder where all this information can be found,” FEBELFIN explains.
Moreover, brochures will be distributed by Fedasil and the federal government information page in this regard. They will be available in six languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, French, Dutch and German, and answer frequently asked questions about basic banking.
According to asylum state secretary Sammy Mahdi, the number of Ukrainians expected to seek refuge in Belgium has been revised downwards. At the beginning of the war, Belgium was expected to house about 200,000 refugees, but now the figure is close to 78,000.
Recent figures from the UN refugee agency reveal that some six million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia’s invasion on February 24.
Meanwhile, the countries that have already received the largest number of refugees from Ukraine are:
- Poland with 3,294,723
- Hungary with 588,736
- Moldova with 460,782
- Slovakia with 412,345
- Romania with 901,696
In addition, many other countries have shown their willingness to provide temporary protection to all Ukrainians seeking assistance, including places like Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain, Austria, France, Ireland etc.
