Police can’t control refugee host families: ‘It’s a problem’

“It’s a problem,” said Jos Lantmeeters, governor of Limburg, on Saturday in Het Belang van Limburg. The governor had asked all mayors to have the host families in their communes checked by the police to ensure that their intentions were good. He wants to prevent, for example, that sex offenders manage to house Ukrainian children or adolescents.

However, local police areas received a note from the federal police on Friday saying that it is not legally permissible to check whether host families have criminal records or have had previous contact with the law. Mr Lantmeeters believes that a solution must be found as soon as possible. “We really can’t take the risk that less trustworthy people will have the opportunity to take in refugees.”