Irish authorities are evicting Ukrainian refugees who are not residing in state-provided housing, reports RTE, citing a source from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
People can now leave for one night or more only in “exceptional circumstances,” which must be approved by the Crisis Temporary Accommodation Group under the Integration Department. A department spokesperson stated that unauthorized absences are considered a refusal of emergency accommodation.
According to the spokesperson, this policy ensures that the state “does not pay for empty beds.” In October 2023, the department suspended a provision that allowed Ukrainians living in state-provided housing to leave for up to seven days during a six-month period.
The number of Ukrainian refugees in state-provided housing peaked at 60,000 in October 2023. Since then, the figure has almost halved, with around 32,000 now residing in such accommodation.
