Hungary has applied a brand new legislation that would drive hundreds of Ukrainian refugees onto the streets or return to Ukraine.
The availability limits state assist for Ukrainians to these from areas of Ukraine immediately affected by the combating attributable to the Russian invasion.
There are 13 areas in Ukraine on the listing, and the Hungarian authorities updates the listing each month.
It’s unclear how most of the 31,000 Ukrainians taking refuge in Hungary shall be affected by the brand new legislation.
Human rights teams say essentially the most weak are the Roma minority from the westernmost area of Transcarpathia, who nonetheless stay in shelters which are about to shut.
Their scenario is additional difficult by the truth that many maintain twin Ukrainian and Hungarian citizenship and have been denied assist elsewhere within the EU on the premise of Hungarian citizenship.
The United Nations Refugee Company said The change within the legislation will imply an estimated 2,000-3,000 refugees will “lose entry to sponsored lodging”.
“Many individuals face important limitations to accessing various housing as a consequence of a scarcity of monetary means and homeowners’ reluctance to hire,” UNHCR mentioned.
“For a lot of, this variation will lead to job losses and influence on faculty enrollment, jeopardizing the optimistic integration outcomes achieved to this point.”
Beneath the brand new legislation, solely Ukrainians whose final official deal with in Ukraine was in an space “immediately affected by navy operations” are eligible for state assist, which incorporates free housing and a fundamental month-to-month quantity.
Authorities Decree No. 134 amends laws in place because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
