‘The generosity of Irish people is very big’: Ukrainians in Leitrim after four years of war

Four years on from Russia’s invasion, Leitrim has become home to nearly 2000 Ukrainians fleeing the war.

“I cannot say for all over Ireland, but here in Leitrim, I got lots of feedback from Ukrainians that they are finding local people, very helpful, very mindful,” said Nataliya Byelyakova, Co-Ordinator with Leitrim Development Company.

There were 1878 Ukrainians in Leitrim in February of this year, according to CSO data based on Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTP) from Ukraine in Ireland with recent activity in administrative data.

The numbers were broken down by electoral district, with Carrick-on-Shannon welcoming the most Ukrainians, 822, then Ballinamore, 616, and then Manorhamilton, 440.

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“The people are very happy, considering sometimes someone is coming from a big city, maybe  a million people in the city, and they are coming to a rural Ireland like Drumshanbo, Leitrim Village, you would think that person is lost now, but no”

“Just two weeks ago, I was talking to one family from Leitrim Village and they are from Khariv, a big city in Ukraine and they are amazed because they learned in Ireland, in rural Ireland something they never experienced before, it is to leave the house door unlocked, like they are leaving their house and they are not locking the door and they are not afraid.”

The data shows that nationally, 43,949 of the arrivals from Ukraine are living in private accommodations.

Others are staying in rooms in private homes under a government accommodation scheme, with 470 hosts in Leitrim, according to Minister for Migration Jim O'Callaghan.

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There are a few commercial accommodations in Leitrim, but most of those are living independently in houses or in rooms around the county, according to Byelyakova.

“The generosity of Irish people is very big, and they are giving their vacant homes, they are opening their doors, they are giving their rooms as well.”

Ukrainians get a small payment of €600 per month to help with accommodation, but she believes more of them are moving away from the scheme and becoming totally self-sufficient.

Ukrainians still worry about their future in Ireland, as their status under temporary protection remains uncertain.

“Some of them are already trying to integrate and put their roots here to stay in Ireland if that would be possible, finding work, education, children, making local friends and progressing with Irish education,” said Byelyakova.

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Among the Ukrainians in Leitrim, over 400 are students, 262 are in Primary school, while 189 have enrolled in secondary school in the county. 

Meanwhile, many Ukrainians in the area have found employment despite language proving a challenge to overcome. Nationally, there were 84,100 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BoTP), according to the data, of which  29,060 arrivals had earnings from employment.

Looking towards their home in Ukraine after four years of war, there is no more certainty about what will be the final outcome, and confusion is the overarching feeling, according to Byelyakova.

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 “People don’t know what to think because there are lots of rumours.”

“I know people who are saying they don’t care anymore about those territories that are taken, just stop the war, stop as it is now, and I know the people who are still very adamant and demanding that we have to go to the borders as they were before 2014, like we have to fight, and I understand both parties.”