The authorities in Ireland intend to restrict the allocation of state housing to Ukrainians

The authorities in Ireland intend to limit the time for providing state housing to Ukrainian refugees due to the high costs.

This was reported by the Irish Examiner.

“Newly arrived Ukrainians in Ireland may only be eligible for state-provided housing for three months, after which they will need to find their own place to live,” the publication stated.

The reason for these changes is the “irrational and unsuitable” approach of Irish authorities to providing assistance to refugees, which is putting a strain on the country’s systems amid the increasing influx of migrants, according to the Irish Examiner.

According to the newspaper, a total of around 97,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland. Among them, more than 73,000 are residing in state-provided housing, costing the government 1.5 billion euros annually.

Additionally, the introduction of these new provisions is being studied to align the asylum system in Ireland with the practices of other EU countries. For example, in the Czech Republic, state housing is provided to refugees for up to 150 days, and in Poland, Ukrainians start contributing to the cost of accommodation after 120 days, as reported by the Irish Examiner.

It’s worth noting that these new rules will apply only to newly arrived Ukrainians.

Furthermore, the government also plans to consider reducing social benefits for Ukrainian refugees.

Previously, it was reported that the Irish authorities would start placing Ukrainian refugees in tents due to a lack of space in accommodation centers and some of the arrivals might have to continue living in tents during the winter months.