‘Maybe Orbán will change his mind’ – refugees from Transcarpathia evicted from their shelter in Hungary

On 28 June, the Hungarian government adopted an amendment changing the criteria for granting access to subsidized housing for refugees from Ukraine. According to the new regulation, starting on August 21st only refugees whose registered place of residence in Ukraine at the time of arriving in Hungary was in one of the areas registered by the Hungarian government as a "war zone" will be eligible for subsidized accommodation. The new regulation also means that refugees who do not meet the criteria will not be able to receive alternative accommodation.

The government's decree has led to the closure of shelters across the country, potentially leaving thousands of people without shelter. Paradoxically, for most of them, one of the obstacles to being cared for as refugees may be their dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizenship.

Following the amendement's adoption, the UNHCR has issued a statement expressing concern about these changes in Hungarian legislation concerning the accommodation of refugees from Ukraine. The UNHCR estimates that between two and three thousand refugees could lose their subsidized accommodation as a result of the changes. These include vulnerable families, pregnant women, elderly people with chronic illnesses and large families. The children of most of those affected have already been enrolled in local public kindergartens and schools. Many cannot afford to rent an apartment, and the new regulations could potentially cost them their jobs.