Budapest, Hungary: The controversial new law that has come into effect in Hungary could leave thousands of Ukrainian refugees homeless. The regulation, which restricts state support to Ukrainians from specific regions directly affected by the Russian invasion, threatens to push many onto the streets or force them to return to their war-torn country.
Under the new law, only Ukrainians whose last official address in Ukraine was in one of thirteen designated regions will remain eligible for state support, which includes free housing and a basic monthly sum. The list of eligible regions is updated monthly by the Hungarian government.
Human rights groups are raising concerns about the impact of the law on the most vulnerable Ukrainian refugees, particularly those from the Roma ethnic minority in the westernmost Transcarpathian region. Many Roma refugees are still living in temporary shelters that are set to close following the implementation of the new regulations.
Complicating the situation further is the fact that many Roma refugees are dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizens, making them ineligible for asylum elsewhere in the European Union. This leaves them in a precarious position, facing the prospect of homelessness or deportation back to a country where their safety is uncertain.
The new law, government decree 134, amends legislation dating back to 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the Hungarian government has defended the measure as necessary to ensure that state resources are allocated to those most in need, critics argue that it is discriminatory and inhumane.
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