Cabinet approval of new measures to manage refugees from the war in Ukraine represents a step change in Ireland’s approach.
Once the necessary legislation is passed in the New Year by the Oireachtas, Ukrainians arriving here will only be provided with accommodation by the State for 90 days. While in State accommodation they will receive a reduced rate of social welfare equivalent to the amount paid to other asylum seekers housed by the State. The 100,000 Ukrainian refugees already here will not be affected by the new measures.
The Government says the changes will bring the Irish system more in line with those in other Western European countries. Ministers believe the measures are necessary to discourage the secondary movement of Ukrainian refugees to Ireland from other safe countries, presumably to take advantage of the more generous assistance available here.
It has become increasingly clear in recent months that demand for accommodation for Ukrainian refugees was running well ahead of supply. It is obvious that the latest move will have a chilling effect on refugees coming directly from Ukraine as the third winter of the war starts to bite. It is disingenuous to suggest otherwise.
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Equally disingenuous is the introduction by the Government of measures it knows are likely to be unworkable. As of last October, there are more than 5,500 non-Ukrainian asylum seekers who have been given leave to remain in Ireland but cannot leave State accommodation because they cannot source suitable housing.
The premise that Ukrainian refugees arriving in the new year will be able to either move directly into private accommodation or move out of State accommodation after 90 days is founded more on hope than expectation.
Ireland’s generous attitude towards Ukrainian refugees to date has been welcome and the Government deserves some credit for this. As pressure builds on resources, some changes are now inevitable. However, the State should be capable of responding in a way that does not involve simply scaring further refugees away.
The Government also risks being seen in some quarters as pandering to the anti-immigrant right. While the reality is that the measures have been under consideration for some time, the timing in the wake of the recent riots is unfortunate.
The move comes at a time when Western support for Ukraine’s attritional war with Russia is wavering. Military deadlock has undermined support for continued funding in both the United States and Europe.
Against this background the introduction of potentially unworkable measures to discourage further Ukrainian refugees is an inadequate response to a real problem.
