The number of Ukrainian refugees living in State-provided accommodation has fallen by 50% over the past year, according to figures released by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Norma Foley. The reduction coincided with government policy changes limiting the length of stay and cutting weekly allowances.
The number of Ukrainian refugees residing in State-provided accommodation has experienced a significant decline of 50 percent over the past year. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Norma Foley revealed these figures in response to a parliamentary inquiry from Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly.
Minister Foley stated that approximately 114,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have arrived in Ireland, with nearly 88,500 of them seeking accommodation assistance from her department. On January 1, 2024, the number of Ukrainian refugees accommodated by the State stood at 29,301, a sharp contrast to the figure of 58,605 recorded on the same date in 2023. This marked a consistent monthly decrease throughout the preceding year, with several thousand individuals leaving State-provided accommodation each month. These figures exclude refugees residing in privately offered accommodations pledged by members of the public.The reduction in State-provided accommodation coincided with the Irish Government's decision in December 2023 to limit the duration of stay for Ukrainian refugees to 90 days. This policy change came into effect in March 2024. Furthermore, in September 2023, weekly allowances for refugees were reduced from €232 to €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, subject to an income test. Consequently, refugees residing in Designated Accommodation Centres, where meals and utilities were provided, became ineligible for social welfare payments such as Jobseeker's Allowance or the State Pension.As reported in May 2024, approximately 20,000 out of the 107,000 individuals who sought refuge in Ireland had returned home. The most recent data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), released in September 2024, indicated that 109,566 Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers had been issued to Ukrainian refugees. Of these, 75 percent exhibited activity linked to the PPSN. Government sources previously informed the Irish Mirror that while the number of Ukrainians departing the State is not systematically recorded, PPSN activity serves as a metric to gauge the number potentially still residing in Ireland. If 25 percent of PPSNs are inactive, it could signify that nearly 27,400 Ukrainian refugees have left. The Department of Social Protection confirmed on Monday that 112,271 PPSNs had been issued to Ukrainians but could not ascertain the number of active ones. The Department of Justice, meanwhile, stated that temporary protection had been granted to 114,017 individuals since March 2022. While approximately 3,337 permissions have been voluntarily withdrawn, there are still roughly 110,680 active permissions. Due to the absence of routine exit checks on individuals leaving the State, it is impossible to determine the exact number of temporary protection beneficiaries who have since departed Ireland. In contrast, the number of International Protection Applicants residing in state-provided accommodation has plateaued for several months, remaining within the range of 32,000 since September 2024. Although there has been a gradual increase each month, the rate of growth has slowed compared to previous periods. In September 2024, there were 32,460 individuals in state-provided accommodation, which rose to 32,897 in January 2025. This represents an increase from 26,823 in January 2024 and 19,635 in January 2023.
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