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 and Hungary. This is also the case in Ireland, where Ukrainians can now stay no more than three months in emergency accommodation provided by the state. A rule which adds to the drastic cuts in their social allowances: from €220 per week per person, they have increased to €38.
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With our correspondent in Dublin, Clemence Pénard
Andrii, 20, fled kyiv with his father in April 2022. “ When we arrived, because it was so new, everyone was really welcoming, trying to help! But, it’s a bit sad today that some people think we’re just here to receive state aid. Anyone would rather be at home, where your family is, your friends are, where you know how the system works. This is not the case here in Ireland. People who come here are just trying to survive, to live their lives “, laments Andrii.
“ It will make the lives of Ukrainians worse »
All these new measures are part of a political approach, with the approach of general elections, according to Anatoliy Prymakov, of the association Ukraine Action Ireland.
“ The new government wants to be seen as doing something against immigration. For me, it reinforces anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, and personally, I don’t think it will allow them to gain votes, what is certain, however, is that it will make the lives of Ukrainians worse. », he notes.
Ireland, which faces a dire housing crisis, is running out of emergency accommodation, and has already halved the number of Ukrainians living in state-funded housing. There were 60,000 last year, and today there are fewer than 36,000.
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