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Up to 16,000 Ukrainians in Ireland could lose state-provided housing within a year as the government plans to terminate accommodation contracts.
Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy said authorities intend to offer Ukrainian refugees a “generous” financial package to support their return home. The government is also considering either ending the Temporary Protection Directive or limiting it to Ukrainians from heavily affected regions, according to The Times.
“We want to end a situation where 16,000 people who arrived at the very beginning are effectively supported by the state since their arrival. We will move away from this,” Brophy said, noting that no other EU country provides housing support for such a long period. “They will have to leave these accommodations as contracts will be ended.”
What is planned
The government expects to complete preparations within the next 12 months, with the final decision still pending approval.
Brophy stated that return payments would be as “generous” as the support Ukrainians received upon arrival:
- initially €400 per month
- later increased to €800
- currently €600, with plans to reduce it again
Hotel rooms currently used to house refugees are also expected to be returned to the tourism sector.
Scale of support
Since February 2022, about 125,000 Ukrainians have received temporary protection in Ireland. Around 64,000 required accommodation, with nearly 28,000 Irish households receiving €438 million in state support since mid-2022.
Context
Temporary protection allows Ukrainians to live, work, study, and access basic social services in EU countries without formal refugee status. Currently, about 4.35 million Ukrainians benefit from this mechanism across Europe.
Separately, Ukrainian authorities are reviewing the list of “migration risk countries,” a move that could simplify hiring foreign workers for businesses, according to officials.
