Ukrainian refugees face homelessness after Hungarian asylum rule change

euronews (in English)

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees face eviction from Hungarian state-funded accommodation in a move by Budapest that human rights activists say could contravene EU law.

Transcript

00:00At least 100 Ukrainian refugees from the Transcarpathia region have been evicted in the Hungarian village

00:08of Koch. Two and a half years ago, the Hungarian government provided the emergency housing

00:14for those fleeing the war. But that rule recently changed and now only refugees from parts of

00:21Ukraine deemed to be affected by conflict are eligible for free housing from the Hungarian

00:26state.

00:28We live in a small house. It has been raining for two and a half years. There are storms,

00:35storms. The roof of the house was destroyed by the storm. We often complain about what

00:42is inside the house. And unfortunately, for those who could not come to Hungary, everything

00:52that can be bought or used is used for free.

00:59NGOs like the Hungarian-Helsinki Committee and Migration Aid argue that the decree denying

01:04shelter breaches international treaties on asylum.

01:09The UNHCR wrote in a statement that the Hungarian government should review the decree and provide

01:15the necessary housing for refugees.

01:19Of course, those who could afford it, could afford it in any way. Some went home, some

01:26went to relatives, acquaintances. Of course, those who could pay the rent, could afford

01:33it earlier. So those people who are here, they are really very vulnerable, in a difficult

01:40situation. They simply don't have the money to pay the rent.

01:47NGOs, locals and policing coach were frantically looking for ways to find temporary housing

01:53for the hundreds that were displaced. Thousands of other Ukrainian refugees are facing the

01:59same problem and risk eviction from Hungarian state-funded accommodation.

Category

Transcript

Recommended