Ukrainian refugees in State accommodation may get Christmas travel exemption

The Department of Integration is considering allowing Ukrainian refugees to travel over the Christmas period as an exemption after tightening its policy around absences from State-provided accommodation earlier this month.

A shortage of available accommodation prompted the department to announce a new protocol on October 7th that refugees could no longer leave their State-provided accommodation unless it was under “exceptional circumstances”.

Before the new protocol, refugees could leave their accommodation for a maximum of seven days over a six-month period.

The department confirmed to The Irish Times on Friday it was now considering exemptions for the Christmas period, saying: “Arrangements to cover absences over Christmas are being developed and will be communicated in advance of the Christmas season.”

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A spokesman said the department was “constantly reviewing its policies to take account of the changing circumstances” in response to the Ukrainian crisis and the updated absence protocol “acknowledges that the constrained supply of new accommodation is struggling to keep pace with the new arrivals to Ireland”.

It was of “paramount importance” that the State took “all necessary steps to maximise the supply of available beds as we approach the winter months,” the spokesman said.

The previous allowance of one short-term absence of up to seven days over six months meant that people could “leave their accommodation if they so wish but their beds will not remain vacant given the large numbers of people who are arriving seeking accommodation”.

“As long as the Department is notified in advance of departure, new accommodation can be claimed upon return, but it may not be in the same place,” the department said.

Exceptional circumstances for approved absences may include medical and compassionate reasons. Absences for exceptional circumstances will not have any limit on the number of days that can can be taken.

Chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) Nick Henderson said any absence policy for refugees would have to be “reflective” of the reality that refugees from Ukraine were in a “relatively unique situation” in that “people do travel within Europe and indeed some people are going back to Ukraine itself”.

“The phrase used is what’s called pendulum movement,” he told RTÉ News at One, adding that people “go back to try and visit family, visit a house, collect belongings... so any policy would have to be reflective of that reality and recognise that people do have to leave for short periods”.

The IRC did not expect the department to guarantee the ability for Ukrainians to return to accommodation after absences “for long periods of time” and “would be advising people of that when they would call our helpline, for example, that if you do leave, there’s certainly a risk that your accommodation could be taken, and won’t be there when you return”, he said.

[ Heated exchanges as Ministers told Ireland one of last countries not to change refugee accommodation offer ]

The department had done “huge work” in generating space for refugee accommodation but the reliance on emergency accommodation was “getting close to being unsustainable”, Mr Henderson said.

As of October, more than 95,000 temporary protection orders have been granted for people arriving in Ireland from Ukraine, and the department has provided accommodation to more than 72,000 people. Almost 90 people arrive in Ireland every day from Ukraine. On average, more than 80 per cent of new arrivals seek State-funded short-term accommodation.