Three hellishly difficult years for Ukraine and people fleeing the war

How did the Hungarian government’s and society’s response to the refugees from Ukraine differ from the 2015 refugee crisis?  

In 2022, the government opened the border to refugees fleeing the war and the Russian aggression.  

However, what was not different was that people fleeing the war in Ukraine generated enormous solidarity in society, just like in 2015. Although the government invested heavily in instilling fear of refugees, Hungarians were eager to help. The government had been spending staggering sums on hate campaigns for many years. In light of this, it was particularly moving to see people from all over the country arriving with sandwiches and chocolate bars to help their fleeing neighbours , at the border and railway stations alike.  

We saw the same kind of solidarity in 2015 when self-organising volunteer groups helped asylum-seekers find their way around the country. And now, even more people have stepped up, which is significant given that by 2022, the Hungarian government had spent taxpayers’ money to portray refugees as a formidable enemy. Yet Hungarian society has reacted with empathy rather than hate.  

How has the situation of refugees from Ukraine changed in Hungary in the last three years?

Many foreigners living in Ukraine had neither Ukrainian citizenship nor Ukrainian family members – for example, people who studied at Ukrainian universities and had no opportunity to return to their home country. It has become increasingly difficult for them to leave Ukraine, and receive protection as they are not eligible for temporary protection. [Temporary protection status was introduced for people fleeing Ukraine after 24 February 2022 and is not the same as refugee status.] At best, they can receive a so-called “tolerated stay”, which is not an international protection status.  

Another significant change is that access to subsidized housing, an essential part of temporary protection, has become increasingly limited. The Hungarian government restricted eligibility for subsidized accommodation in 2023. A government decree defined a vulnerability criteria in addition to interpreting it in a way that if both parents in a family are present in Hungary, then only one parent is eligible. This change has drastically impacted the lives of families who were already somewhat integrated. They had to choose between staying together in a shelter where everyone had to pay or splitting up and leaving only one parent with the child and the other having to move out. Understandably, most of the families chose to stay together, which meant that after moving out, children had to leave their schools or kindergartens, and parents lost their jobs. It was heartbreaking that those who had been here for a year and a half and started settling in suddenly had to start from scratch in much more difficult circumstances.  

In 2024, restrictions on access to subsidized housing continued by the Hungarian government entrusting itself with deciding which parts of Ukraine would be directly affected by the war and to only provide accommodation for those who came from those regions. It’s unrealistic to imagine war as static, as if they can only shoot today where they shot yesterday, or as if there is a decent infrastructure everywhere in a country after two years of war. The government published a list of war-impacted regions in Ukraine, which did not include Transcarpathia, a region next to Hungary and home to a large Hungarian-speaking minority, many of whom sought refuge in Hungary. As a result, thousands of people lost their subsidized housing in August last year.  

If the state fails to meet basic needs, what else can people fleeing the war rely on?  

They can count on a monthly subsistence allowance of 22 800 HUF for adults and 13 700 HUF for children. However, the constant need to move for families who are no longer eligible for subsidized housing has also made it problematic to access this minimum amount, which they typically collect at the post office nearest to their registered address.  

What changes are necessary to ensure that refugees from Ukraine can live in safety and dignity in Hungary in the long run?  

A good starting point would be to bring the Hungarian situation in line with EU legislation so that refugees from Ukraine can access housing. We would also need a change of attitude, as people no longer need emergency humanitarian aid but a long-term integration perspective. They need to be able to find a job, have stable housing, and send their children to school. This would be best for everyone in the long term.  

What plans does the Hungarian Helsinki Committee have to continue to effectively support refugees from Ukraine?  

We will continue with our work. On the one hand, we will continue with the litigation on access to accommodation. We will also be available with information and legal advice.   

We will keep working with partner organisations, as assistance is a complex task, and we need all of us on board to achieve our goal.  

In addition, at the EU level, we will also seek to represent our clients’ interests against the injustices against EU law mentioned above.