Ireland will sharply cut monthly aid to Ukrainian refugees as it faces a housing crisis and tries to stem the flow of asylum seekers, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s government announced on Tuesday afternoon that the allowance for Ukrainian refugees using public housing will be reduced from the current €220 to €38.80.
In addition, the authorities will introduce a 90-day limit on how long refugees can stay in accommodation provided by the Irish state.
About 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled to Ireland since the beginning of the Russian invasion last February. Compared to the country’s population of 5.3 million, this means that Ireland has taken in the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita of any country in Western Europe.
How many Ukrainian refugees does Ireland accept?
Prime Minister Varadkar said on Tuesday that around 80,000 Ukrainian refugees were now in the country, saying the measures announced by his government would come into force early next year but would not affect the 70,000 Ukrainians already in public housing.
The government of Ireland also noted that this decision only brings the country in line with other Western European states in terms of the number of accepted refugees relative to their total number.
In addition, he specified that after the refugees leave the state accommodation facilities, the monthly allowance will return to the level of 220 euros.
But the Irish Refugee Council, a Dublin-based NGO, says most refugees will find it difficult, if not impossible, to find accommodation amid the housing crisis.
The Irish government cannot cope with the number of refugees
Last week, the government agency responsible for receiving asylum seekers began handing out tents to some refugees who had recently arrived in the country after running out of places to accommodate them.
Homelessness in Ireland hit a record high last month, with around 13,200 people placed in emergency accommodation as the percentage of homes available for private rent hit a multi-year low.
“I am very proud that as a country we have welcomed 100,000 refugees in Ireland and I want to make it clear that Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine will remain welcome in Ireland,” Prime Minister Varadkar told Parliament .
“But the situation with accommodation is serious and the number [de refugiați care sosesc] remains very high and we are making this change with that in mind, given that other European countries have followed suit,” he added.
The Prime Minister of Ireland announced on November 6 that his government was working on an action plan to stop the influx of refugees into the country, but did not present a concrete plan of action at the time.
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Source: Hot News
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