Less support

Ukrainians have to leave shelters in Hungary

Ukrainian refugees in Hungary(Bild: AFP/Atila Kisbenedek)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has restricted support for refugees from Ukraine. According to a new decree, only around half of the Ukrainian regions are affected by the fighting. Some people will therefore have to leave their homes.

Privately run refugee shelters have already started to move Ukrainians out, the organization Migration Aid said on Wednesday. In Kocs, north of Budapest, around 120 refugees had to leave a guest house under police supervision. Among them are Roma women and children from the western Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia, where a large Hungarian minority lives.

In total, around 46,000 Ukrainians have applied for protection status in Hungary.(Bild: AFP/Attila Kisbenedek)

Around 2,000 to 3,000 people from Ukraine could lose their accommodation.(Bild: AFP/Atila Kisbenedek)

This includes a Hungarian minority.(Bild: AFP/Attila Kisbenedek)

"We have nowhere to go"
"We are in a hopeless situation because we have nowhere to go," says mother of five Marina Amit, who fled to Hungary last year. She fears that her 17-year-old son could be drafted into the army if he returns to Ukraine.

According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, 2,000 to 3,000 Ukrainians in Hungary could lose their state-subsidized accommodation. They are also at risk of losing their jobs and places in schools. The government should rethink its policy.

We are in a hopeless situation because we have nowhere to go.

Flüchtling Marina Amit

New decree since Wednesday
The action is based on a decree that came into force on Wednesday. It restricts support for refugees from Ukraine if they come from parts of the country that are not considered to be affected by the war. Government commissioner Norbert Pal described the regulation as "reasonable and appropriate." Those who wanted to "get back on their feet" in Hungary had "had ample opportunity in two and a half years."

Hungary has already taken in fewer war refugees than other countries in the region. According to the UNHCR, a total of around 46,000 Ukrainians have applied for protection status in the country. The head of government rejects arms deliveries. Orban is the only head of government in the EU who continues to maintain close relations with the Kremlin.