Financial support for Ukrainians residing in European Union countries has undergone significant changes. In most states, assistance has either been reduced or completely canceled, and the conditions for receiving it have become stricter.
This is reported by Finway
Features of Payments in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, and Norway
In the Czech Republic, starting in 2023, the circle of individuals eligible for payments is gradually narrowing. From September 2024, the duration of humanitarian housing has been reduced from five to three months. From 2025, adults are entitled to assistance of 200 euros per month, while children receive 143 euros. If a refugee does not find employment within 150 days and does not belong to vulnerable categories, the payment decreases to 129 euros. Additionally, to extend temporary protection, it is necessary to notarize the place of residence.
A study conducted in June 2025 indicates an increase in tension within Czech society: 58% of citizens believe that the country has accepted an excessive number of refugees, and 60% are convinced that Ukrainians receive more from the budget than they contribute, although official statistics refute this.
In Hungary, since 2022, Ukrainians with temporary protection have been entitled to 22,800 forints (approximately 58 euros) for adults and 36 euros for children per month. However, from the summer of 2024, stricter criteria for receiving assistance have been introduced. The Hungarian government has recognized the western regions of Ukraine as “safe,” thus displacing individuals from these areas are deprived of the right to free accommodation in refugee shelters.
In Spain, monetary payments for Ukrainian refugees ceased in 2023. However, there is an opportunity to apply for social assistance for low-income individuals: a single adult can receive between 500 and 800 euros, while a family with children can receive between 1,200 and 2,000 euros. Certain charitable organizations, including the Red Cross, provide Ukrainians with free accommodation in hostels for up to 18 months.
In Norway, the government has tightened the conditions for receiving assistance in order to reduce the number of new displaced persons. The changes affect housing issues, payments for families with children, and the possibility of temporary trips home with subsequent return. Despite this, Ukrainians are entitled to certain monetary payments, housing assistance, and medical services.
Restrictions in Slovakia and Public Sentiments in EU Countries
From March 1, 2025, Slovakia will limit the duration of stay in refugee shelters for those who received temporary protection after this date to 60 days. Additionally, living allowances have been reduced: they are provided only during the first 60 days.
The deterioration of attitudes towards Ukrainians is most noticeable in Poland and the Czech Republic. As noted by the director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research named after M.V. Ptukha of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ella Libanova, the reasons for this phenomenon are of an economic nature.
“A Ukrainian woman who arrived in Poland with one or two children received more assistance from the state than a Polish single mother with one or two children, she noted.”
According to Libanova, this disparity in payments is explained by the fact that Ukrainian refugee women find themselves in a significantly more difficult situation: they lack their own housing and many essential items. At the same time, this aspect often goes unnoticed by the majority of the local population in Poland and the Czech Republic.