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Fleeing a war zone to Co Kerry: ‘The hardest decision was to leave Ukraine... not Dublin’

Refugees find solution to 90-day accommodation limit by moving further afield than the capital city

From Ukraine to Goulane, Co Kerry: Nadiia and Andrii Chopko with their children Tetiana, Anna, Roman and Artem at their new home. Photograph: Valerie O'Sullivan
Simran Kathuria
Thu Aug 01 2024 - 21:40

Nadiia Chopko landed in Dublin Airport with her husband and their four children on the afternoon of March 27th last. Three hours later, the family were at a temporary accommodation centre in Ballyogan, South Dublin.

It was a “safe start” for the family, who had fled the war in Ukraine, Chopko says, speaking through an interpreter. Ballyogan was “not an ideal family situation, but we were happy to have a roof and feel at peace”.

Four months into their new life in Ireland, Chopko has few complaints and big aspirations.

She and her family arrived under revised legislation introduced by the Government in March this year. Under the amended approach, those fleeing the war in Ukraine and entering Ireland after March 14th are given temporary State-provided accommodation for a maximum of 90 days. They are given food, services and integration support during that period.

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Ballyogan was not an ideal settling. “The room we were taken to was large, with approximately 50 beds. It was just beds and no dividers, and we were the only family there,” she says. But it was close to Dublin city, and just a week after settling in, Chopko found work.

[ Thousands of Ukrainian refugees to have welfare allowances cut from September ]

“I could easily travel for work. The public transport is good in Dublin. We had food and accommodation, so our focus was on finding a job, setting up our public service cards, health cards and bank accounts,” she says of her initial stay.

However, she says the 90-day limit was on her mind from the outset. Every two weeks, a message popped up in her email inbox and on her phone, reminding her of the time left before she must pack again and find a new home.

“In all war situations, refugees who leave later are in worse and desperate conditions. They have stuck the war out longer and have lost more. They held on for as long as they could and now, they are poorer and more desperate and vulnerable,” says Brian Purcell, media lead at the Irish Red Cross.

Nadiia and Andrii Chopko with their family. Nadiia plans on running a tailoring business, while Andrii is looking for metal construction work. Photograph: Valerie O'Sullivan

The Irish Red Cross team visited the Ballyogan centre, where Chopko got a chance to interact and explain her family situation. Four weeks later, Chopko received a call from the Irish Red Cross migration team, offering them temporary use of a house in the southwest region of Ireland in Co Kerry.

“Since the introduction of the Government’s 90-day accommodation policy in March, approximately 3,061 people have arrived in Ireland, and were granted temporary protection from the war in Ukraine. Just over 53 per cent of them accepted the offer of State-provided accommodation,” said a Department of Integration spokesperson.

‘The community in this village is very small and helpful. Everyone knows each other. Our house-owner spread the word around, and my youngest son got admission in school’

—  Nadiia Chopko

The number of Ukrainians in State-provided accommodation has reduced from 60,000 in November 2023 to just under 45,000 on June 11th, 2024, with an average of 42 people leaving weekly for alternative options, the department said.

The Chopkos moved out before their 90-day deadline.

“It was not a very difficult decision to leave Dublin – the hardest decision was to leave Ukraine. We are a big family, and it is very challenging to find something for six people in Dublin so moving out was the only option,” says Chopko.

Settling in a remote village in Co Kerry came with its own set of challenges. Transportation, job hunts and school admission for children were issues that had to be resolved.

[ Ukrainian refugees in Ireland are repeatedly forced to uproot and start over ]

“The community in this village is very small and helpful. Everyone knows each other. Our house-owner spread the word around, and my youngest son got admission in school. It is a remote area, but we found other Ukrainians who helped us and suggested a place to buy a car,” she says.

During school term, Chopko drops her son to class every morning in the car she and her husband bought recently. “Six kilometres does not seem much now,” she laughs.

Not fully relying on social welfare assistance, Chopko and her husband, Andrii, are motivated to find work by themselves. While Chopko plans on running a local business, her husband is looking to get into metal construction work, similar to what he did in a factory in Ukraine.

“I used to tailor and make clothes for myself and my family in Ukraine. Here it is difficult to find a job so I am thinking tailoring could be a good option. I already bought a machine. Across 40km of this area there is no tailor, I already Googled it,” she says.

For now, the Chopko family is taking one day at a time.

“We loved our home and our life in Ukraine. We left in despair because of our circumstances, and so we do not have any big future plans,” says Chopko. “We are happy in our current situation. We have a beautiful house and a great host.”