‘Not acceptable’: 43 Ukrainian refugees left without accommodation and helped by homelessness services

Ukrainian refugees being left without accommodation at the weekend is “not acceptable” and the Government is “not happy about it”, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said.

It comes as 43 people from Ukraine were told there was no accommodation for them on Friday and Saturday after the Citywest transit hub was closed for new arrivals.

People who were left without accommodation were assisted by homelessness services in Dublin. Many returned to Dublin Airport over the weekend. A new facility for temporarily housing refugees is to be set up at the airport today.

Mr Coveney defended the Government’s response to the refugee crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that almost 60,000 people fleeing the conflict have been accommodated in a relatively short number of months. “What’s happened this weekend is not acceptable. The Government is not happy about it. We have a meeting tomorrow to try and put responses in place.”

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Coalition leaders and key ministers are to have a Cabinet sub-committee meeting on the refugee situation amid the influx of people from Ukraine and an increase in the numbers from other countries seeking international protection.

“It’s no secret that actually Ireland is being put under huge pressure because of the numbers this year,” Mr Coveney He told RTÉ Radio’s This Week programme.

He said a population the size of Waterford city has been accommodated over the last six months and the country “has never faced a migration challenge like this before.”

”Unfortunately, this weekend, we have been caught out in the context of the numbers that have come in the last two weeks.

“We need to respond to that as a government now and we will.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said on Sunday: “As far as I know, the Government is working on a plan.”

She added that what happened is “unacceptable for us, because of course we are worrying about our people.”

She said they bought tickets and arrived in Ireland and suggested it would have been better to announce a lack of accommodation in advance.

Mr Coveney said the Government has a good relationship with Ms Gerasko and her team. However, he agreed it is “not acceptable for people to flee a conflict to come to Ireland, and not to have anywhere to go” and the Government needs to get on top of that.

Earlier Irish Red Cross secretary general Liam O’Dwyer said his organisation has offered supports to the Government but they have not been taken up yet. “I think the situation is fairly desperate at the moment” and he said the Government needs to put in place another hub like Citywest.

Mr O’Dwyer pointed out that there are still properties pledged by the public which are available for use by refugees and he put the number at around 2,000.

He said local authorities should be resourced to “up the standard and to move people into the accommodation that is there”.

Mr O’Dwyer acknowledged that quite a number of the properties are in rural areas and people are reluctant to move there due to transport issues but said “there are opportunities there”.

Mr O’Dywer also said the Department of Integration has “actually done very well” but added: “The questions be asked really is where is the Department of Housing ultimately, because this is a housing and accommodation matter at this stage.”

Direct provision

Meanwhile, the number of people with legal status to remain in Ireland but who remain trapped in direct provision because they cannot access housing has increased by 56 per cent in six months.

Latest data from the Department of Integration show as of October 17th, there were 4,491 people, including about 1,250 children occupying spaces in asylum-seeker accommodation who could leave immediately. This compares with 3,676 at the end of June and 2,873 at the end of April.

International protection applicants are entitled to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) once they are granted refugee status or leave to remain.

However, due to the ongoing dearth of housing, numbers unable to move out of direct provision and free-up space for new arrivals are spiraling.

The figures were provided to Sinn Féin’s spokesman on housing Eoin Ó Broin, who said the “dramatic growth of people” forced to use direct provision as “emergency accommodation [was] yet another example of the Government’s housing failure.”

A Department of Housing spokesman said it is focused on the “longer-term accommodation challenges” for refugees from Ukraine including work where upgrading investment is required.

In response to Mr Ó Broin’s remarks the spokesman defended the Government’s record on housing saying the target of 24,600 new build homes for this year is on track to be met and that the delivery of sustainable, affordable homes is its “top priority”