Undercooked food, food poisoning, and rodents have been reported at a number of State accommodation centres housing Ukrainians in Ireland.
The new report on the experiences of Ukrainians living in State-provided accommodation under the Temporary Protective Directive found that rodents were reported at six accommodation centres, while one in three refugees rated the quality of their accommodation as “poor or very poor.”
The report, published on Tuesday by Limerick-based refugee and migrant rights NGO Doras, sought responses from almost 1,000 Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection in Ireland.
The research looked at types of accommodation, type of service provision, staff attitudes and responsiveness, facilities for children, and lack of complaints mechanism.
While a significant portion of Ukrainians reported being happy with their accommodation, many expressed concerns about safety, inadequate supports, and conditions.
The report, ‘Room to Improve: A Look at the Experiences of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in State Accommodation’ found that 1 in 3 rated the overall quality of their accommodation as “poor or very poor,” while in 1 in 4 reported not having appropriate accommodation and/or inadequate supports for people with additional needs.
1 in 6 Ukrainians surveyed said they had concerns relating to the safety of children in their accommodation centre, whilst 1 in 10 said they had concerns about gender-based violence in the centre they were housed in.
1 in 3 of those surveyed said there was no complaints mechanism, whilst 60 per cent in serviced accommodation rated the quality of meals provided as poor or very poor.
Undercooked or rotten food was reported in 2 centres, whilst worms and maggots were reported in food in one centre. Meanwhile, cases of food poisoning were reported in three of the centres. Rats or mice were reported as being present in six centres.
In addition, the report highlighted how 43 accommodation centres had no transport links.
One refugee told the survey: “I’m very sick, I’ve been living with 6 people in one room for a year.”
Another is reported as saying: “Complete unsanitary conditions, the stench of urine in the rooms on the ground floor, mould, and wet beds on the ground floor.”
“In principle, we are not hungry,” another said, adding: “We sincerely thank Ireland, but the attitude itself is sometimes unpleasant to tears.”
“Children are constantly sick, I am not sure about the sanitary condition of the hotel and the food provided,” was another response collected by the survey.
One man told the survey of cramped living conditions, stating: “I live with 9 other men in single room.”
“The roof has been leaking for 6 months and has not been repaired. Because of this, water pours onto the electrical outlets in the room,” another recalled.
John Lannon, Doras CEO said that the research painted a worrying, but not surprising, picture.
“We have been working on the ground with people living in Direct Provision for the past 20 years, so we have seen how institutionalised living can negatively affect the mental and physical health of adults and children,” Mr Doran said.
“Our new research on the experiences of Ukrainians living in State-provided accommodation paint a worrying, but not surprising, picture. While a significant portion of those surveyed were very happy with their living conditions, we can see from the findings that the quality of service provision varies greatly from centre to centre.
He continued: “It’s important to also note that some providers are doing a very good job, and this is reflected in the survey. There’s also a lot of gratitude and appreciation from the Ukrainians towards Irish people, volunteers and communities that are supporting them. And that’s why we urgently need national standards to help ensure consistency in the quality of service provided.
“We are calling on the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to urgently implement three main actions: mandatory compliance with the Children First Act 2015 to safeguard children; mandatory Garda vetting for all staff working in accommodation centres; and compulsory training to all staff in those centres on trauma-informed practice and intercultural awareness.”
A new 90-day limit on State-funded accommodation for Ukrainians has come into force, replacing the indefinite period which had been in place.
The 90-day limit was introduced on March 14 to reduce Ireland’s ‘pull factor’ as a refugee destination.
The Department of Integration said that the policy would allow Ukrainians to orientate themselves and make their own arrangements, should they wish to stay in Ireland.
Under the scheme introduced on 14th March, newly arrived Ukrainian BOTPs can avail of free accommodation in a designated accommodation centre for a maximum of 90 days. They will receive a weekly allowance of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child.
During their stay, Ukrainian BOTPs are not entitled to apply for standard social welfare assistance, but can do so when they leave.
Figures from last Monday showed that there were 705 Ukrainians living in designated accommodation centres here.
The number of new Ukrainian arrivals who had availed of such accommodation since March 14 was 1,043, but 338 had since left those centres.