86 Ukrainians Evicted from State Accommodation for Unapproved Absences in One Year
April 10, 2025
A total of 86 Ukrainians were evicted from State-provided accommodation between October 9, 2023, and October 9, 2024, following a policy change that banned unapproved absences, according to figures released to RTÉ News under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Department of Integration updated its absence protocol on October 9, 2023, for Ukrainians living in State-funded accommodations such as hotels and guesthouses. The revised policy eliminated a previous "short-term absence allowance," meaning residents can now only leave for one night or more under "exceptional circumstances" approved by the Department’s Ukraine Crisis Temporary Accommodation Team. Unapproved absences are considered a "refusal of emergency accommodation," which can lead to eviction under the Department’s Refusals Policy.
A spokesperson for the Department of Integration stated that the policy ensures the State is "not paying for empty beds" except in exceptional cases. They added that while evictions are not automatic, the Ukraine Crisis Temporary Accommodation Team reserves the right to enforce the Refusals Policy. The Department also noted that individuals may retroactively apply for approval of an absence.
The data shows that the first eviction under the new policy occurred nearly five months after its introduction, on March 1, 2024. The individual received a letter stating their absence was deemed a "refusal of accommodation" and that they had been "discharged" from the facility. The letter further clarified that, under current policy, no further accommodation would be offered.
Evictions increased in the following months: eight letters were issued in March, 11 in April, nine in May, 11 in June, 12 in July, 14 in August, 15 in September, and six between October 1 and October 9, 2024, marking one year since the policy change.
Emma Lane Spollen, National Coordinator of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, welcomed the release of the figures but raised concerns about the policy’s impact. "A decision to take someone’s accommodation away is very serious," she said, adding that "vulnerable people are being placed in precarious situations." Ms. Lane Spollen called for greater transparency, urging the Department to publish an analysis of the reasons for evictions and details on cases where decisions were successfully appealed.
The Department of Integration previously stated it does not collect data on the number of people asked to leave due to unsanctioned absences, but the newly released figures provide the first clear picture of the policy’s enforcement over the past year.
86 Ukrainians evicted from State-provided accommodation
A total of 86 Ukrainians were evicted from State-provided accommodation for leaving without permission in one year, between 9 October 2023 and 9 October 2024, after a change in policy meant that such absences were no longer permitted.
