It can take an hour and a half from the Migration Board calling for Ukrainian refugees to come to the municipality.
Then it is important to have housing ready.
In Österåker municipality, there are currently 250 evacuation places where refugees can live temporarily.
Some of the homes are just temporary, but Österåker has also refurbished 15 modular homes that were empty after the refugee crisis in 2015. These four rooms can be used as evacuation places, but Kristina Eineborg, coordinator for the Ukrainian refugees in the municipality, says it would have been even better if they became long-term accommodation for families.
- These are real homes, we would like to use them in the slightly longer term instead, says Kristina Eineborg.
Prepare schools
However, the government has not yet made a decision on that step.
At present, a refugee facility, under the auspices of the Swedish Migration Board, is the final stop for the Ukrainian refugees, which is subject to the Mass Refugee Directive.
- The Swedish Migration Agency itself says that you should not stay for too many months, because it is not a good environment to be in. So we are waiting for information from the government about what the idea is after the facility accommodation, says Kristina Eineborg.
If the Swedish Migration Agency's worst-case scenario materializes, with upwards of 300,000 Ukrainians to Sweden, the municipalities need to be given the opportunity to prepare for housing, as well as schools and preschools.
- Let's say that 300 Ukrainian children would come here and need schooling, then it's like a whole medium-sized school and such takes time to prepare.