Ukrainian refugees in Ireland - Megathread

He said he will get cash in hand hospitality work and also work as a freelance translator. He thinks he will be able to able to a very good wage as an English/Ukrainian translator since so many Ukrainian people will be settling in Ireland now.

With respect, I find that difficult to believe. I have been involved with helping people from Ukraine settle temporarily in Kerry from the start and hear nothing like that. Most of them are half afraid to talk and those that do say little. They do greatly appreciate the help they receive that much I do know.

Was annoyed with myself for not asking why he was in Ireland and not in Ukraine defending his country like millions of other men.

What goalposts were moved? You posted a link to May, then June that showed a declining number per head of emplyed Ukrainians. I only asked how many of them were on lower benefits, under 16, between 16-18, and were part-time. Nothing moved there, just asking for clarification on the types of employment and people being employed. I would find that very relevant, but also within the 'goalposts' without having to move them.

So of the 9% - 10% 'employed' in May, the whole lot may have had zero effect on the benefits that were being handed out.

The war is going around 6 months at this stage, are there any plans to reduce their benefits and add tighter restrictions on those coming in? Surely any that were in desperate need to get out of there after 'seeing their homes get flattened, and their villages destroyed' have been taken in at this stage, or are there still another couple of hundred thousand under the rubble?

Or are we just going to leave things as they are, keep letting them unvetted into the country, as though it is still a major emergency, and keep throwing huge amounts of money at them.... 🙄

You provided a link from May which said there were 'nearly' 2000 working. That figure could be 1750 for all we know. No matter how loosely it is phrased, 'nearly' 2000 is not 'thousands'.

The call for the breakdown on how many Ukrainians were on reduced benefits, under 16, between 16-18 etc. was before you posted the June figures showing the numbers working per head declining. I repeated it as you either ignored it or didn't see it. It is still relevant.

The nonsense about star signs etc. is just that. Post filler nonsense.

Suckit, what is the point of all this?

You didn't believe there are "thousands" of them working. That is what the other poster said. When presented with a reference, and being told that 2000 of them had already gotten work back in May, you want to argue over the definition of "thousands".

When given a more recent link, albeit only a couple of weeks later in early June, which says that there were 3,500 you go on about the percentage having decreased.

Now you still want to go back to argue about the definition of "thousands" in an article from May - "That figure could be 1750 for all we know". It's irrelevant.

There are indeed thousands of them working. QED

No, The word 'thousands' was purposely used to give the impression that much more were working than actually were. You keep insisting that nearly 2000 is 'thousands' - it isn't. No matter how you say it, no matter how many ways you try, it isn't thousands. I am not arguing over the definition of the word, simply pointing out how to use it correctly.

The questions I am asking are relevant, how that employment breaks down. It stops disingenuous posters from fluffing the figures up and trying to make it look and sound like many more are employed than actually are, and trying to imply that they are all full time workers who left their benefits behind and jumped into work at the first chance they had.

We all know that isn't the case, and as long as they are receiving a months wage in a week with no way to spend it, things will remain that way. They are reading our papers, can see the issues with housing and rent being astronomical. They are reading about married couples having to live with their parents etc. They are not stupid. They can see there is little or no point (other than to 'thank' us) to working here, especially if it means losing their benefits and free accommodation and bills.

They will sit on their hands, take the €208 handout and go back to Ukraine in a year after spending as little as possible of their free money. But you and others can keep posting stories with pumped up numbers to sell your story that they are all going out of their way to find work and pay taxes as quickly as possible while they are here.