Romania has not yet allocated funds for Ukrainian refugees in 2024

Humanitarian aid kit. Stock photo: Getty Images

The Romanian government has not allocated any financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees in 2024 so far.

Source: Euractiv, citing the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Ukrainian refugees seeking shelter in Romania received some financial support in February, but these were overdue payments from the end of 2023, according to IGSU. 

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Regarding January and February 2024 expenditures, IGSU reported that “steps have been taken with higher-ranking structures to allocate necessary funds upon receiving requests from local public administration authorities.” 

However, IGSU stated that it cannot estimate when it will receive the necessary amounts.

Assistance to Ukrainian refugees was also delayed last year due to budget deficits, leading to protests by several dozen Ukrainian refugees in front of the Ministry of Finance in November 2023. 

Until April 2023, assistance was provided under the “50/20” programme, which allocated 50 lei (€10) for accommodation and 20 lei for daily meals. This money was not given directly to refugees but transferred to Romanian host parties.

From May 2023, the government reduced assistance to 750 lei (€150) per month for individuals and 2,000 lei (€402) per month for families, with an additional 600 lei (€120) per person for food expenses. Adults were required to be registered with county employment agencies, the municipality of Bucharest, or have a job in Romania, and children were required to attend school to qualify for assistance.

According to the latest data from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as of February 2024, over 78,000 Ukrainians were in Romania. At the EU level, Romania ranks eighth in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees.

Background:

• In Germany, dozens of Romanian citizens were exposed who, under the guise of Ukrainian refugees, received money and housing.
• In Norway, a scandal erupted over the decision of the city council of the country’s fifth-largest city, Drammen, to only admit refugees from Ukraine.

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