Near 2,500 Ukrainian refugees apply to remain in Ireland on longer-term basis

The scheme is the latest in a series of reforms to Ireland's treatment of Ukrainian refugees.

Almost 2,500 Ukrainian refugees have sought to remain in Ireland on a longer-term basis, as part of a new residency scheme.

The Department of Justice has confirmed 2,387 Ukrainians have applied for the new temporary protection transition scheme.

The new scheme has been equated to a Stamp 4 residence permission, which permits non-EU citizens to live and work in Ireland for a period of time.

Currently, Ukrainian refugees are in Ireland under a system of temporary protection, which has been extended by the EU on several occasions since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

It is now slated to end in March 2028.

The new scheme will allow people who fled Ukraine to remain in Ireland after temporary protection ends, with permission to stay granted for a period of up to two years.

Renewals will last a further two years.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said: “It is important for applicants to note that the alternative permission is not intended to replace temporary protection, but to provide an alternative for those who meet the eligibility criteria."

The eligibility criteria include a requirement for the applicant to be resident in Ireland for at least one year before the scheme opened on September 30.

There is also a requirement for the individual to have been either in employment or self-employed for six months prior to the scheme opening, with a minimum yearly salary of €29,432.

Any applicants must also not be in receipt of any State-supported accommodation, including commercially provided and rapid-build modular housing at the time of their application. 

Ukrainians who are in hosted accommodation supported by the accommodation recognition payment are also not eligible.

The Department of Justice has said that individuals who are not eligible for this scheme will still be entitled to temporary protection while the directive remains in place.

Time spent within the scheme will also count towards reckonable residence for citizenship, which is set to rise from five years to eight under new reforms.

The spokesperson confirmed that no applications have been granted as of yet, with assessments still ongoing.

Applications welcomed

Colm Brophy, the minister of state for migration, welcomed the high number of Ukrainians applying for the scheme.

“It shows that there are many Ukrainians living and working here who have integrated fully into Irish society and wish to remain with us long term,” Mr Brophy said.

“I am also keenly aware that for many Ukrainians currently living in Ireland, they wish, and the wish of their government, is to return to Ukraine as soon as it is safe to do so."

It is the latest in a series of reforms to Ireland’s treatment of Ukrainian refugees, with the Government confirming earlier this year that it would begin the process of terminating contracts for Ukrainian refugee accommodation towards the end of this year.

The contracts are being cancelled in four batches, with the first taking place in October and the remainder due to occur in November, January, and February.

Refugees will be given a three-month notice period of termination of their accommodation, though ministers have been told this may not always be possible.

Alongside the phase-out of State-contracted accommodation, the Government has also reduced the payments made to households hosting Ukrainians and begun developing a voluntary returns programme.