Ireland to cut financial support for Ukrainian refugees

Ireland said Tuesday it will significantly cut welfare payments and accommodation provision periods for new refugee arrivals from Ukraine to bring it in line with support levels elsewhere in Europe.

From late January the current welfare payment rate to Ukrainian refugees of 220 euros ($237) per week will fall to 38.80 euros for the period that they are in state accommodation.

State-provided accommodation for new arrivals from Ukraine meanwhile will be limited to 90 days, a government statement read.

The measures would bring Ireland “in line with other EU countries at a time of severe strain on the housing sector,” Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in parliament.

A communications campaign advising Ukrainians thinking of coming to Ireland will be launched informing about the changes, said Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman after the announcement.

The number of people coming from Ukraine will fall as a result of the “significant change in our offering”, O’Gorman told a Dublin news conference.

“A consequence of the changes we’re making will probably be lower numbers (of new arrivals from Ukraine),” he said, adding that he did not believe it would lead to an increase in the number of homeless people.

“Ukrainians are a mobile population who could look to travel to another EU state or return to their country,” he said.

According to official data, more than 101,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland with 74,500 people currently living in state-provided accommodation and 57,000 in fully serviced accommodation.

Opposition parties said that Ireland’s longstanding housing shortage meant that many refugees would not be able to afford open-market accommodation.