Belgium offers financial aid of up to €1,100 per month to Ukrainian refugees
Belgium stands out as the European country offering the most generous support to Ukrainian refugees, according to a recent analysis by Deutsche Welle. The organisation's study, which compared the support systems in six European countries, revealed that Belgian refugees receive a monthly allowance of €1100 per person, along with free medical insurance and access to public housing.
In contrast, Sweden offers a daily allowance of €190 for adults and €140 for children. Germany provides an allowance of €563, including rent and medical compensation, while Poland offers a monthly payment of €190 for families with children, along with access to work and free medical aid.
However, Belgium's support system for Ukrainian refugees is not without challenges. The country faces financial aid, medical insurance, and public housing issues compared to some of its neighbours.
Under the EU's Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainian refugees are entitled to access medical assistance in host countries, including Belgium. While Belgium recognizes this right, there have been reports of implementation challenges or coverage gaps.
In terms of financial aid, Belgium extends temporary protection until March 2026 and requires Ukrainians to register in person for status renewal. However, stricter asylum rules and policies to deny shelter to refugees already protected in other EU states have led to cuts in social benefits and family reunification rights for refugees under temporary protection.
Regarding public housing, Belgium has recently tightened shelter access rules, leading to increased homelessness risk, especially for single men. There have been significant reception shortages, delays in asylum processing, and political disputes undermining housing for refugees.
Despite these challenges, Belgium complies with EU-wide rights on protection, work, healthcare, and housing. However, the country's political context has led to a more restrictive and contested reception system for Ukrainian refugees compared to some neighbours.
Meanwhile, in the UK, support for Ukrainian refugees is primarily targeted towards children and pensioners. As reported by The Guardian, UK authorities have been denying Ukrainian citizens asylum, citing safe places within Ukraine as an option to relocate from combat zones.
Hungary provides a basic allowance of €55, with an additional €34 per child, but Western Ukrainian refugees will lose their right to free accommodation from 2024.
In conclusion, while Belgium provides the most generous support to Ukrainian refugees in terms of monthly allowances, the country faces challenges in providing consistent and equitable access to medical insurance, financial aid, and public housing compared to some of its European neighbours.
In the context of personal-finance support, Belgium offers the highest monthly allowance of €1100 per person to Ukrainian refugees, but faces issues in providing consistent and equitable access to medical insurance, financial aid, and public housing compared to some of its European neighbors.
On the other hand, the political landscape in the UK primarily focuses on providing support to children and pensioners, with stricter asylum rules leading to denial of asylum to Ukrainian citizens and eventual loss of free accommodation in Hungary from 2024.
