The Irish government is aiming to terminate government-provided accommodation for Ukrainian migrants within a year, and will offer payouts to encourage repatriation, Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy has said.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, around 125,000 Ukrainians have received temporary protection in Ireland, according to Brophy. From July 2022 to March 2026, Dublin reportedly spent more than €438 million ($516 million) to provide half of them with housing.
Dublin has also shelled out nearly €400 million in “political, humanitarian, economic and non-lethal military aid” for Kiev, while other EU members have funneled billions of euros into the conflict. Russia has warned that the EU’s support for Ukraine has only served to prolong the hostilities.
In an interview with The Times published on Saturday, Brophy said discussions are underway in the government regarding axing state-provided accommodation over the next 12 months.
“I don’t see why we as taxpayers should be paying out millions and millions and millions… because no other EU state is providing that,” the minister stated, adding that the “timeline is the critical thing here.” The termination of the program has yet to be finalized at the government level, he said.
According to Brophy, the Irish government is also considering offering generous financial incentives to encourage Ukrainians to return home.
According to Eurostat, an estimated 4.35 million Ukrainians are registered for temporary protection across the EU. In recent months, a number of member states, including Poland, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, have moved to curb social programs for Ukrainian migrants.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced last week that Berlin and Kiev will coordinate efforts to return military-age Ukrainian men residing in Germany to their home country.