Refugees from Ukraine were left without financial support in Romania. According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the last payments were made in February.
The inspectorate reported that “steps have been taken with higher structures to allocate the necessary funds after receiving requests from local public authorities,” however IGSU cannot estimate when they will receive the requested amounts. This is reported by Euractiv.
Aid to Ukrainian refugees was also delayed last year due to budget deficits, which led 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” program, according to which 50 lei (10 euros) were allocated for accommodation, and for daily meals — 20 lei. This money was not transferred directly to refugees, but was transferred to Romanian hosts.
From May 2023, the government reduced assistance to 750 lei (150 euros) per month for individuals and to 2,000 lei (402 euros) in month for families, as well as an additional 600 lei (120 euros) per person for food expenses. To qualify for assistance, adult Ukrainians must be registered with district employment agencies, the municipality of Bucharest or work in Romania, and children must be in school.
According to the latest data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , as of February 2024, more than 78 thousand Ukrainians lived in Romania.
Prepared by: Nina Petrovich