Dmytro, 38, his wife and their two children, aged four and 13, now live in Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine, a city where more than 10,000 buildings have been destroyed by Russian shelling in the last year, and which suffered a missile attack this week.
Now he is considering leaving: “We hesitate between Ireland and Norway and trying to decide where is better to go”, says Dmytro, who is afraid to be identified since no one knows how the war will go in coming months.
Why Ireland or Norway? Simply, both countries have become home to far fewer Ukrainian refugees than eastern European Union countries. So far, Ireland has taken in up to 70,000; the Norwegians have taken in 30,000. Poland has found places for one million.
Dmytro speaks very little English, but he speaks no Norwegian: “It’s quite obvious that the English language is easier to learn. It can take me six months to start speaking English, while it can take years to learn Norwegian,” he says.
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However, Norway offers better prospects for short-term accommodation for his family, he believes: “In Ireland, a family of four can live in one room. In Norway, they will give you a 3-bedroom apartment as a minimum,” he claims.
He saw Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko’s warnings before Christmas to Ukrainians not to come to Ireland over the holidays because of accommodation shortages, and he keeps in close touch with WhatsApp and Telegram chat groups.
The fall in the number of Ukrainians who came to Ireland over Christmas is not just down to Gerasko’s warning, however, says Anatoliy Prymakov of the Ukrainian Action aid group, even though his group did issue warnings, too.
Instead, airline ticket prices played a role, with Ryanair tickets to Dublin costing €200. “Imagine a four-person family, [that’s exceeding] €1,000. In addition, we must pay for extra baggage. It is very expensive, we can’t afford it,” says Dmytro.
‘Always stressful’
The new rule requiring Ukrainians housed in hotels to pay for food will not deter Ukrainians seeking a place of safety, says Mr Prymakov, though people are worried about whether temporary residency exemptions will continue.
Ukrainians are part of one of the biggest group chats on Telegram in the State - called ‘Ukrainians in Ireland’
Nina Mischenko (42) has lived in Ireland since March 2022. She fled her country shortly after the Russian invasion began. Now she stays in the Citywest Hotel: “You never know when you might be relocated. You have already built a life around the current place.
“The child goes to school and the transition to another [place] is always stressful,” says Mischenko, adding that she herself needs regular hospital treatment for a number of issues: “It is difficult to manage life to plan something.”
Are Ukrainians properly informed about difficulties in Ireland? Ukrainians are part of one of the biggest group chats on Telegram in the State called “Ukrainians in Ireland” to keep updated, with more than 12,000 members.
Often the questions posed are the same, posed again and again: “Is there an accommodation?”, “Does Ireland accept Ukrainians?”, “For how long can you stay in the Transit Hub?” etc. Moderators and active users reply regularly.
Sometimes, the refugees worry about their pets as much as themselves. Anastasiia Tromsina (29) came to Ireland on December 31st from Kyiv, having travelled through five other EU countries: Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France.
Every country she entered during her journey accepted the animals’ Ukrainian international passports: “When we entered Ireland they took pets immediately in quarantine. I have two of them: a nine-year-old dog and a 10-year-old cat. Both need special care, I’m not sure that the shelter provides that,” she worries.
I talked to a girl who came with two healthy cats. After quarantine, both had lost a lot of weight and started shedding fur
— Anastasiia Tromsina
She came to Ireland to help her parents, who have lived here since autumn. Her father has had two spinal surgeries previously, so she is needed to help her mother to look after him. Her journey to Ireland cost most of her savings. Now, she worries about the €30-a-day quarantine bill for her cats.
‘I’m desperate’
The Department of Agriculture ignores her questions, she complains. For now, she is told they will be held in quarantine for four months. “In total it will cost me €3,000. Additionally, they send me [bills] for food and veterinarian help. I’m desperate,” she goes on.
The State’s rules are not clear, she complains. For example, there is no mention that animals cannot be quarantined at home, or that animals must have EU passports. She was sure that Ukrainian international passports would be enough.
Though minor, perhaps, to some, the issue causes distress: “I talked to a girl who came with two healthy cats. After quarantine, both had lost a lot of weight and started shedding fur.” One couple’s dog had lost weight and vomited for a week after exiting quarantine: “What will happen to mine, who are old and sick?”