Time permitted in State accommodation for Ukrainian refugees cut to 30 days

Government figures have warned about the increasing number of people arriving, with justice minister Jim O’Callaghan expressing concerns that the Government may need to find additional accommodation if the trend continues

Under the new rules, Ukrainians arriving will only be permitted to stay in State-provided accommodation for 30 days — down from the previously permitted 90 days. Picture: Eamonn Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Newly arriving Ukrainian refugees will only be entitled to stay in State-provided accommodation for 30 days, as senior ministers reach agreement on new rules.

Proposals from justice minister Jim O’Callaghan and migration minister Colm Brophy were formally agreed at the migration Cabinet subcommittee on Monday evening.

This means that Ukrainians arriving will only be permitted to stay in State-provided accommodation for 30 days, down from the previously permitted 90 days.

The move to cut the length of stay comes amid an increase in the number of Ukrainians arriving in Ireland in recent months.

In September, the Department of Justice confirmed there were 1,794 Ukrainians granted temporary protection. Compared to September 2024, this is an increase of 226%.

Government figures have warned about the increasing number of people arriving, with Mr O’Callaghan expressing concerns that the Government may need to find additional accommodation if the trend continues.

“There’s been a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian’s arriving into Ireland since September this year. In the past two months, we’ve seen a significant increase,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“If the numbers keep arriving and the numbers we’ve seen in September and October, we’ll have to start looking for more accommodation.”

He said what was being offered by Ireland compared to other EU countries was “much more generous”.

“I think it’s something that we’re going to have to look at."

Contribution charge

Official figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) earlier this year showed there were around 80,000 Ukrainians still living in Ireland since 2022, with over 110,000 arriving in total.

The recent increase in Ukrainian’s arriving in Ireland coincides with a recent policy shift in Ukraine, allowing young men aged between 18 and 22 to leave the country for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Alongside the changes to how Ukrainian refugees are treated, the senior ministers also agreed to progress proposals to introduce a contribution charge for working asylum seekers living in State accommodation.

Mr Brophy is now expected to outline an operational model for the charge, along with providing a timeline on its introduction, before it goes to Cabinet for final sign-off.

The proposed plans would see working asylum seekers charged between €15 and €238 per week to live in State-provided accommodation, depending on how much they earn.

Under the proposal, it is understood that asylum seekers who do not pay will be pursued through debt collection or through the court system.

Changes would also be introduced that citizenship would be denied to any asylum seeker who has unpaid debts outstanding. Sources indicated it would take between nine to 12 months to get these plans into operation.

Mr O’Callaghan said he believed the measure was appropriate to introduce.

“Ultimately, it will be a matter for Government, but they are proposals that we’re recommending and we do believe that they are appropriate,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

A subsistence charge for asylum seekers was proposed as far back as September 2024.

Consideration has also been given by the Government for the introduction of a bespoke permission system to allow Ukrainian refugees to remain in Ireland once the EU’s temporary protection directive expires in 2027.

Several options are on the table on the future status of Ukrainian refugees, including using the existing international protection system.

This has several drawbacks, including possible hesitance of Ukrainians to enter into the system as it would prohibit them from returning to Ukraine. It would also lead to a significant increase in the number of people seeking asylum, which could potentially overwhelm Ireland’s decision-making systems.