About a hundred thousand Ukrainians may stay in Hungary for longer period, Executive Vice President of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service predicted in an interview with 24.hu. Lajos Győri-Dani claims that Budapest hotels are already full with Ukrainian refugees and they are preparing for a long crisis period.
“In our calculations, some 100,000 may stay with us for a longer period of time. For example, because nearly 30,000 Ukrainian citizens with work permits are in Hungary for some time already, mostly working in multinational companies. Now their families will come here too or are already here,” he explained.
He additionally said:
- The Maltese Charity Service was not aware of the Russian attack beforehand, but made preparations in case it happened.
- Borders were free of chaos by the third day of the war outbreak when the system itself took shape, and everybody in need found their place.
- Disaster Management rented out a large number of accommodation facilities ranging from workers’ hostels to guesthouses, where refugees are being taken by bus from the train stations.
- Three to four thousand people are being accommodated each day.
- Budapest hotels are already full with refugees.
- The reopening of three Asylum Reception Centers would not make much difference due to the large number of arrivals. The two in operation –Balassagyarmat and Vámosszabadi- are enough for peace time.
- More than one hundred thousand people are not on the asylum registers as they haven’t asked for any help. But soon many of them will run out of money, and will need the help of aid services.
- Excluding state support, the Maltese Charity Service has so far received some HUF 500 million (EUR 1.4 million) of financial support, and around HUF 1 billion (EUR 2.7 million) worth of donations.
- Hungarian society’s enthusiasm will definitely “wane” as times goes on, meaning that there will be fewer volunteers and donations. “What people can give to the refugees, they give it at this time.”
- That is why the aid organizations’ responsibility is great, because
“we know very well that this crisis will not end in just a few weeks.”
The government said earlier that they were working on providing refugees with jobs, and implemented special regulations and allowances, such as no work permit needed for those Ukrainian nationals who previously had claimed asylum and headed for fields with employee shortages, such as technical and IT fields, trade, catering, and agriculture.
featured image: refugees in Beregsurány; via Attila Balázs/MTI
