Ukrainian refugees living at the Breaffy Woods Hotel near Castlebar in County Mayo, in the West of Ireland, have expressed concern over a government order to pay for their own meals.

Source: European Pravda, citing Independent

Details: Earlier this year, the Irish government announced that Ukrainian refugees staying in hotels and other serviced accommodations must pay EUR 10 per adult and EUR 5 per child per day for meals.

However, this decision was met with opposition from residents of the Breaffy Woods Hotel near Castlebar, which houses 333 Ukrainian refugees and 132 applicants for international protection from other countries.

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The Ukrainian residents stated in a letter sent to the hotel's management that the food does not meet the standards set by the World Health Organization and "is not equivalent to the cost offered."

They express their "concerns and collective dissent" and claim that migrants from other countries staying at the centre don't have to pay for their meals.

Quote: "The hotel management does not oblige residents of other nationalities to pay for meals, which can be regarded as an instance of discrimination," the letter reads.

Under the scheme, which was introduced to reduce government costs, migrants who refuse to pay will be seen as refusing their accommodation and asked to leave.

"The direct threat of the eviction of Ukrainian families, in case of non-payment of food contributions, violates the terms of the directive on temporary protection in EU countries for persons displaced as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to which the provision of housing is mandatory," the letter reads.

The letter, signed by "residents of Breaffy Woods reception centre", was addressed to Wilson Bird, the general manager of the hotel.

There are about 85,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland who received temporary protection after fleeing the Russian invasion. Unlike asylum seekers, they can work or claim social benefits, including unemployment benefits.

Ukrainians living in Breaffy received a letter from the Equality Department on 17 July, informing them that the new meal charges are mandatory. It also said that any laundry or pet expenses will "no longer be covered by this department."

"If you do not pay this contribution towards meals, the accommodation provider has been instructed to inform this department and you will not be able to stay in the accommodation," the letter states.

The hotel said it had been advised to refer media inquiries to the government and released a statement referring to the government's decision last October to introduce a meal charge for people using temporary protection in "state-funded accommodation".

Background:

Several accommodation centres for Ukrainian refugees were closed due to the reduction of costs for their maintenance in Moldova.

As of 30 June 2023, almost 4.7 million non-citizens of the EU who left Ukraine due to the war have temporary protection status in EU countries.

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