As we begin the new year, we have passed another grim milestone of the war in Ukraine, which now just concluded its 18th month. While the war rages on, the humanitarian emergency it has unleashed continues to cast a long shadow, with around 5 million Ukrainians internally displaced – often in dire need of humanitarian support – and 5.8 million scattered across Europe, attempting to rebuild their lives in safety.Yet, as compassion fatigue looms on the horizon, some of the countries that initially received the most refugees – like Poland, Romania, and Czech Republic – are dialing back their assistance, while individual and community hosts across Europe are struggling to sustain their initial levels of support. On the other hand, a great number of Ukrainian refugees across Europe are still not able to live independently without relying on various forms of assistance.We clearly are at a crossroads. It is time for money and collective efforts to be redirected, from band-aid short-term emergency measures to more comprehensive, long-lasting solutions. What I see every day as an employee of HIAS Europe, the European branch of the Jewish humanitarian organization HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), strongly supports this idea.
A survey of participants in HIAS’ Welcome Circles program, where Jewish communities across Europe supported by the The Jewish Federations of North America and global Jewish philanthropy, offer integration assistance to Ukrainian newcomers – found that many Circles were still providing subsidized housing or housing support up to one year after arrival, and that only in very rare cases were Ukrainians able to have long-term employment and housing for just six months (the intended duration of the program).The small Jewish community in Ireland was one of the first to rise to provide immense support for Ukrainian refugees, with many community members offering them their spare rooms or holiday homes. But while this was a good emergency fix to respond to thousands of people in need arriving in Ireland, such accommodations are often not suitable for winter. “We had a family comprising a mother and three children who were being hosted in a holiday home in the West of Ireland for several months, but the owners wanted use of the house for the summer months. The only temporary accommodation we could source was in Dublin with a temporary host family, where they lived for two months until they could return to the holiday home. Unless we can source suitable, long-term accommodation – it will be very difficult for them to achieve self-sufficiency, and they are not the only ones in this situation”, said Rachel Senior, the Welcome Circle Coordinator in Ireland.
The consequences of unemployment for Ukrainians are severe. Suitable work opportunities in Europe are a crucial building block toward long-term integration, reducing dependence on host communities and families. But they are also fundamental for those Ukrainians who do plan to go back: employment offers opportunities for learning new skills and contributes to better mental and social well-being – all critical factors for Ukraine’s eventual recovery and reconstruction.As a Jewish community, we have demonstrated in the past year that supporting Ukrainian refugees is the epitome of the core Jewish value of welcoming the stranger. In thinking about what we want to bring with us into the new year, we must ensure to uphold this value and maintain compassion, even as offering support becomes more difficult. We have seen proof that the Jewish community could not only support but lead in the response to the Ukraine crisis.Our duty as a global Jewish community is clear: to ensure that Ukrainian refugees in Europe not only survive but thrive as resilient contributors to our communities and societies, carrying with them the promise of a brighter future, whether in their new homes or in their homeland.The writer is the Welcome Circles coordinator of HIAS Europe.