In Europe, the reception conditions for Ukrainian refugees are being questioned by several countries. More than two and a half years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022, a trend of stiffening is perceptible in Norway, Poland, Hungary…
In Ireland, Ukrainians can now stay no more than three months in emergency accommodation provided by the state. A rule which is added to the drastic cuts in their social allowances: from 220 euros per week per person, they have increased to 38 euros.
“When we arrived, as it was so new, everyone was very welcoming and trying to helpexplains Andrii, 20, who fled kyiv with his father in April 2022. But today, it’s a little sad to see that some people believe that we are only here to benefit from state aid. Anyone would rather be at home, with family and friends, where they know how the system works. This is not the case here in Ireland! People who come here are just trying to survive.”
According to Anatoliy Prymakov, of the Ukraine Action Ireland association, all these new measures are part of a political approach, in the run-up to general elections. “The new government wants to be seen as doing something about immigrationexplique Anatoliy Prymakov. To me, it reinforces anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, and personally, I don’t think it will win them any votes. What is certain, however, is that it will make the lives of Ukrainians worse.”
Same observation for Emma Lane Spollen, national coordinator of the Ukraine Civil Society: “Time is making people perhaps a little less empathetic and because we’re getting closer to the elections and things have become, in general, a lot more hostile to refugees: it’s a really difficult time. And yet, the war is still raging, the needs are still there and there is a better way to do it!”
And all these government cuts in aid to Ukrainians could further encourage them to seek international protection: “People may think: if I am in the international protection system, at least I will have somewhere to live until they decide the future. Whereas if you come to Ireland today, you will only have three months in accommodation Of course the government doesn’t want everyone to apply for international protection, because they would then have to assess each person individually.”
Because Ireland is facing a terrible housing crisis. The country is running out of emergency accommodation, and has already halved the number of Ukrainians living in state-funded housing. There were 60,000 in 2023, today there are less than 36,000.
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