MOSCOW, May 27. Irish authorities intend to In the coming months, a “significant number” of centers for accommodating refugees from Ukraine will be closed amid their partial release after restrictions on support measures for Ukrainians in the country, the Irish Times reported on Monday, citing a representative of the Ministry of Integration.
“The Ministry of Integration has confirmed that a “significant number” of centers… will close in the coming months,” the article says.
In December 2023, the Irish government approved a reduction to 90 days of the period for which housing is provided to Ukrainian refugees. Previously, it was reported that the Irish authorities stated that it was impossible to accommodate refugees from Ukraine due to a lack of housing.
As a result of limiting the period for providing housing for refugees arriving from Ukraine after March 14, accommodation centers will be partially vacated, writes the Irish Times. In addition, refugees “every day” leave the housing provided to them in order to settle down on their own, the newspaper reports, citing a statement from a government official.
As the publication recalls, authorities previously gave 170 refugees living in a hotel in the Irish village of Drumshanbo two weeks to leave it because it would no longer be used as an accommodation center.
The Irish government previously also reduced benefits for Ukrainian refugees from 220 to 38.8 euros per week. Irish Finance Minister Michael McGrath stated that the reduction in benefits would affect a third of Ukrainians in the country — 27 thousand refugees out of 86 thousand. This resulted in a decrease in the number of Ukrainians arriving in Ireland — in February it was reported that, amid restrictions on support measures, this figure decreased by 65%.