Ireland seeking to limit length of stay for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees in state housing

According to Ukrinform, Ireland’s Cabinet subcommittee agreed on the changes on Monday evening, November 3, RTE reports.

It is noted that if current trends continue, whereby around 50 people daily require 90-day accommodation, the total available capacity may be exhausted this month.

Officials also reached agreement that asylum seekers who are employed in Ireland will be required to make a weekly financial contribution toward their housing costs. Proposed contributions range from €15 to €238 per week, depending on income. Implementing this system may take 9 to 12 months.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and Minister of State Colm Brophy will now work on how the proposal will be implemented.

It is expected that in the coming weeks the measure will be considered by the leaders of the governing parties before being submitted to the Cabinet for final approval.

"Ultimately they will be a matter for the Government but they are proposals we are recommending and we do believe they are appropriate,” O’Callaghan emphasized.

He also noted a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland since September.

"Obviously that puts pressure on the accommodation that we are providing because we have had a certain amount of accommodation available. But if the numbers keep arriving like we saw in September and October, we will have to start looking for more accommodation," he said.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have received temporary protection in Ireland, with an estimated 83,000 still residing in the country.

As reported by Ukrinform, Marcin Przydacz, head of Poland’s Presidential Bureau of International Policy, stated that Poland has already accepted enough Ukrainian citizens and cannot take in more.