Migration minister: Ireland to offer money to encourage Ukrainians to leave

(SeaPRwire) –   The country also intends to end state-funded accommodation within a year, Colm Brophy has stated

Ireland’s government plans to cease providing state accommodation for Ukrainian migrants within a year and will offer cash payments to promote their return, according to Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy.

Brophy noted that approximately 125,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Ireland since the conflict escalated in 2022. From July 2022 to March 2026, Dublin is reported to have allocated over €438 million ($516 million) to house about half of them.

Ireland has additionally committed close to €400 million in “political, humanitarian, economic and non-lethal military aid” to Kiev, while other EU nations have directed billions into the war. Russia has cautioned that EU backing for Ukraine has merely extended the fighting.

In a Saturday interview with The Times, Brophy said government talks are ongoing about ending the state accommodation scheme in the coming 12 months.

“I don’t see why we as taxpayers should be paying out millions and millions and millions… because no other EU state is providing that,” the minister remarked, emphasizing that the “timeline is the critical thing here.” He said a final government decision on terminating the program is still pending.

Brophy also said authorities are looking at providing substantial financial incentives to persuade Ukrainians to go back to their homeland.

Eurostat figures indicate roughly 4.35 million Ukrainians are registered for temporary protection throughout the EU. Recently, several member states, such as Poland, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, have taken steps to reduce social benefits for Ukrainian migrants.

Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Berlin and Kiev will work together to repatriate Ukrainian men of fighting age who are living in Germany.