Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty has expressed growing concern over what he described as “mounting fatigue and increasing debate” within the EU and across Europe about bringing emergency protections for Ukrainian refugees to an end, reports RTE.
Mr O’Flaherty, who previously served as Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission between 2011 and 2013, warned in a statement that “a gradual and disjointed withdrawal” of the European Union’s Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) “could leave the most vulnerable at serious risk”, reports RTE.
The EU has prolonged the TPD arrangements for Ukrainian refugees until March 2027.
The directive has allowed Ukrainian nationals to live, work and gain access to healthcare services across member states since March 2022, following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, reports RTE.
“I am increasingly concerned about the growing fatigue and intensifying discussions at EU and national levels about ending emergency arrangements,” Mr O’Flaherty said in his statement, reports RTE.
“In some countries, policy changes have diminished protection and assistance. In addition, I see rising anti-Ukrainian sentiment, sometimes fuelled by populist politics”, reports RTE.
The statement added: “The stakes could not be higher: without robust national frameworks and a coordinated European approach, countless Ukrainians may be forced into impossible choices.”
Mr O’Flaherty also highlighted the escalation of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine over the past year and said that any future decisions relating to temporary protection should be “anchored in the principle that international protection is withdrawn only when return is safe and durable”, reports RTE.
Those conditions, he said, “are manifestly not met today”, adding that no part of Ukraine could currently be regarded as safe, reports RTE.
Figures from the European Commission show that 4.3 million Ukrainian citizens were living in the EU under temporary protection at the end of March.
From 2024 onwards, a number of EU countries including Ireland, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands started cutting financial assistance for Ukrainian refugees at different stages, reports RTE.
Several member states have introduced measures aimed at helping Ukrainians enter employment while gradually reducing financial supports.
Last month, the Irish Government decided to end the use of state-funded commercial accommodation for Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Ireland before March 2024, reports RTE.
The move is due to begin in August and will be implemented gradually over a six-month period.
At present, up to 16,000 people from Ukraine living in Ireland are staying in tourist or commercial accommodation paid for by the State, reports RTE.
Last Sunday, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed the Government is examining a scheme to assist Ukrainian citizens wishing to return home, although no announcement has yet been made about the type of repatriation payment that may be introduced.
According to Mr O’Callaghan, the proposal has not yet received full approval from Government, reports RTE.
Since March 2022, more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have applied for temporary protection in Ireland, although the latest CSO figures show around 84,000 were living in the State as of last February.
In his statement, Mr O’Flaherty called on EU member states to prevent “a protection gap” once the current TPD system expires in March 2027, reports RTE.
“Long-term solutions are also needed to allow Ukrainians to plan their futures. Millions live in uncertainty which exacerbates trauma,” he wrote, reports RTE.
The Council of Europe is made up of 46 member states and is headquartered in Strasbourg.
Established in 1949, the organisation is home to the European Court of Human Rights and monitors the European Convention on Human Rights, reports RTE.
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