Hungary has tightened the rules for refugees from Ukraine

In Hungary, a new government decree has come into effect that tightens the requirements for refugees from Ukraine.

This information reported by the BBC.

According to the new law, only those Ukrainians whose last official address in Ukraine was in a region “directly affected by military actions” will retain the right to state support, which includes free housing and a basic monthly allowance.

Government Decree No. 134 introduces changes to legislation that was in place before 2022 and before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to journalists. The Hungarian government will update the list of affected Ukrainian regions monthly. As of now, thirteen regions of Ukraine are included in this list.

It is currently unclear how many of the 31,000 Ukrainians who have refugee status in Hungary will be affected by this new law, the journalists noted.

The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians on March 4, 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and automatically extended it for one year. Last year, EU countries decided to extend this protection until March 2025.

According to the Center for Economic Strategy, as of late January 2024, 4.9 million Ukrainians were abroad due to the war, with the largest numbers in Germany and Poland. The study suggests that up to 2.3 million people may remain outside Ukraine permanently.

It is worth noting that on July 28, in Germany, the Secretary General of the largest opposition party, the CDU, Carsten Linnemann, proposed cutting financial aid to 100,000 unemployed individuals, including Ukrainian refugees. He suggested that exceptions should only be made for single parents and those caring for relatives.