A new law came into force in Hungary on Wednesday limiting which Ukrainian refugees can access subsidized housing. Only those from areas that are deemed to be most affected by the Russian invasion will be eligible for the long term.

The new law excludes individuals arriving from, among other regions, Transcarpathia. This has been a controversial move by the Hungarian government, as Transcarpathia (better known in Hungary as Subcarpathia) is an area in Ukraine that used to belong to Hungary and is inhabited by many Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizens.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a Hungarian non-profit organization committed to protecting human rights through legal assistance and information, complained that no public hearing was held before the introduction of the law despite the “drastic changes” it makes. From the announcement of the law on July 2 2024, only six days were provided for those Ukrainian refugees not from active war areas in “exceptional circumstances” to make applications to stay for longer in government-subsidized housing. As the Helsinki Committee reports, it was not clear that such refugees were informed by the Hungarian government or that any administrative help was provided in their applications. Further, after the introduction of the law, the Hungarian Government will not pay money to local authorities to look after those Ukrainian refugees who are not from active war zones. According to the Helsinki Committee, previously 5000 forints ($14.20 USD) were paid a day per head to local authorities to cover accommodation costs and food costs for refugees.

The new law limits subsidized accommodation for newly arriving Ukrainian refugees for 30 days unless they come from a war-torn area and can “credibly” prove it. Some such new arrivals are eligible to stay in government-subsidized accommodation for longer if they are above 65 years of age, if they have a disability, if they are a pregnant woman, or if they are a child or the main carer of said child. As the Helsinki Committee points out, the effect of this extension clause is that it tears apart families with more than one parent.

The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urged the government to reconsider the act, which they estimated could leave 2000-3000 Ukrainian refugees homeless in Hungary. They stressed that any limiting of refugee shelters must “be gradual and accompanied by measures to prevent situations of homelessness and destitution,” and that newly incoming refugees should be provided with 90 days of subsidized accommodation at the least.

The effect of the new law can be observed already in Koc, Komárom-Esztergom county, where 120 Ukrainian refugees have been left homeless, according to Euronews.