Ukraine war: 'NI should prepare for surge in refugees'

Northern Ireland could spot a surge of refugees this wintertime arsenic warring intensifies successful Ukraine, a enactment radical has said.

The Newry-based Hope for Ukraine urged section authorities to support levels of assistance astatine existent levels.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) said its proposal centre volition present unfastened monthly alternatively of weekly.

The Executive Office, which leads the effect to refugees, said numbers utilizing the centre had fallen.

It said proposal centres' opening hours were reviewed connected a continuous basis.

"There is nary longer a request for a centre to beryllium held successful the metropolis for a afloat time each week," said a statement.

"Instead, assistance centres were acceptable up successful caller locations, including Dungannon and Londonderry, wherever they had not antecedently been established and wherever a request had been identified.

"If the numbers arriving successful a peculiar locality increase, we volition set the opening times to respond to the changing need."

The fig of Ukrainian refugees utilizing the Newry centre reached its highest successful May, erstwhile astir 200 radical per week attended.

The enforcement said it was assured the centre could negociate with akin levels if determination was different summation during the wintertime period.

At a NMDDC committee meeting, the caput of Hope for Ukraine, Andre Stokes, said helium was expecting a caller question of refugees.

"With the acold upwind coming successful accelerated present and the escalation of the attacks connected civilians by Russia, we are expecting a caller question of Ukrainian refugees into Ireland," helium said.

"When the warfare moved distant from the northbound of Ukraine immoderate radical went back, reasoning they were safe, but that is nary longer the case.

"There are radical present truthful desperate, surviving without immoderate vigor oregon moving water, the concern is conscionable untenable."

Mr Stokes said authorities successful Northern Ireland should beryllium tightening up their operations successful mentation for a imaginable emergence successful caller arrivals.

The council's progressive and steadfast communities committee confirmed it was downgrading its opening hours for assistance at Newry leisure centre from erstwhile a week to erstwhile a month.

Mariya Krupska, the group's secretary, said that portion refugees were being housed, immoderate of their different needs were not being met.

"A batch of radical present were truthful generous astatine the commencement of the war, but I tin spot that erstwhile things similar big payments did not happen, that things changed and doors did not unfastened anymore," she said.

But determination was overmuch much that needed to beryllium done, she added.

"For illustration determination is simply a Ukrainian household with a disabled big lad and a young lad with autism," said Ms Krupska.

"They are living in a tiny cottage successful the countryside with nary different support, not adjacent a hoist to assistance the big lad to furniture oregon the toilet."

She urged the assembly to supply much operations astatine the proposal centre.

"It needs to hap earlier the adjacent large question comes, truthful we are prepared," she said.