A TOTAL OF 3,000 Ukrainians who have been living in student accommodation will have to leave by the end of August, the Government has confirmed.
In a statement, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) said that there were currently over 5,700 student beds contracted in student accommodation with 4,270 in use for housing Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs).
Student beds are being provided by a number of universities as well as private providers.
The department said that exit dates have been agreed upon to ensure student accommodation is available ahead of the new academic year.
In total, 3,000 Ukrainians will have to leave their accommodation before September.
According to a report from RTÉ’s This Week, many of the families have not been told where they will be accommodated next, causing stress and concern.
Speaking to RTÉ, one woman, Polina Grishenko, who is eight months pregnant living in student accommodation in Cork with her sister and two children, said she did not know where her family were going to go next.
“In my case they told us the composition of my family unit is too big so we cannot promise to you and solutions or any promises,” she told the programme.
“They told us if they do not find family who will be ready to help with accommodation for us… we need to come back to Dublin, to Citywest.”
The Citywest Hotel is being used as an accommodation centre to house Ukrainian refugees.
Grishenko said she would not be surprised if she ended up having to “sleep on the floor” at Citywest.
Julie Ahern, legal policy and services director with the Children’s Rights Alliance charity, also expressed concerns about the situation.
“Temporary accommodation does make it difficult for children to settle, to make friends and access services,” she said.
“And we know from talking to refugee children that what they really want is to feel safe, to have an opportunity to make friends and to settle.”
In its statement, the department said it “continues to work with accommodation providers to secure additional accommodation generally over the summer months and after, taking into account provision that may expire at the end summer”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say