A shortage of social lawyers was reported in the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen region, where 26 were said to be active, compared with more than 1,000 in the Amsterdam region. The accessibility of legal aid reportedly depended on where people lived, and some residents had to travel about an hour to reach a lawyer, according to social lawyer Maikel Harte from Terneuzen.

One vacancy in the region was said to have remained open for five years without receiving a response.