Revealed: Thousands of Ukrainians to be told to go by August

12/05/2025

Some 4,000 Ukrainian refugees face being moved out of their current homes, as pressure on privately supplied accommodation eases.

The Government’s move is expected to release a significant tranche of hotel rooms and accommodation normally designated for students.

The decision will be announced by Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy today and will be cleared by the Cabinet tomorrow.

‘Ukrainians will be getting a tap on the shoulder on Monday [today] and will be expected to be out of their accommodations by August,’ one source said.

It is a move that will be welcomed by rural TDs who have faced protests in areas where there is a shortage of hotel rooms and community facilities.

The Government ‘temporarily paused’ moves to relocate Ukrainian refugees after a series of local controversies over the uprooting of Ukrainian families, who had put down roots in Ireland, in March.

Payments under the Homes For Ukraine scheme, which paid €800 to people hosting Ukrainian refugees here, will be cut by 25% to €600 next month.

One Government source told Extra.ie: ‘Ukrainians are still welcome, it is just that we are engaging in a process where we are moving towards the European norm.

‘Ireland can’t be offering better deals. A rationalisation of accommodation services is simply part of this process.

‘The number of Ukrainians has reduced from 114,000 to 80,000. A lot of hotels have seen significant reductions in the number of Ukrainians. They are almost like “ghost hotels” so can be restored to their original purpose.’

Minister Brophy confirmed plans to move 4,000 Ukrainians will be announced today, saying: ‘This is part of a rationalisation process. The number of Ukrainians has reduced from 114,000 to 80,000.’

He added: ‘A lot of properties involved are hotel accommodation and student accommodation. Accommodation has reduced significantly in certain hotels, and student accommodation is desperately needed, so, in short, maintaining them as asylum centres no longer makes sense.’