One of Ireland’s better humanitarian moments in recent years has been the welcoming of Ukrainian refugees in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country in February 2022. Within a year, Ireland had taken in around 121,000 Ukrainians, almost double the European average on a per capita basis.The war in Ukraine is now locked in a bloody stalemate and while Ukrainians continue to endure great hardship in their homeland, the peak of the humanitarian crisis has passed, and Ireland and other EU states are looking towards longer- term arrangements. The regrettable fact that must also be acknowledged is that attitudes towards refugees and immigrants – regardless of their country of origin – have hardened across Europe and Ukrainians are not immune to the consequences.Now, the Government has outlined its plans for a scheme leading to citizenship for Ukrainian refugees who wish to remain in Ireland after the EU-wide temporary protection regime – under which Ukrainians arrived – ends next March. The EU scheme may well be extended if the conflict continues. Ukrainians staying on are likely to have to meet employment and income criteria. State-provided accommodation will be withdrawn on a phased basis between this August and March 2027. The Accommodation Recognition Payment paid to people hosting refugees from Ukraine will be reduced from ¤600 to ¤400 per month in October. The proposed changes mirror similar moves across Europe and share the same political rationale, including public anxiety about migration. They have in turn led to anxiety in the Ukrainian community in Ireland. Its members point out that the housing shortage militates against a smooth transition, even for the roughly 50 per cent of adult Ukrainians believed to be in work here. The Ukrainian Government, the UNHCR and various Irish charities have voiced concerns. Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration has carefully calibrated its response, conscious of not wanting to seem ungrateful for the generous welcome extended by Irish people.By the same token, the Government here must be mindful of not squandering the enormous goodwill that Ireland’s response has engendered. And it must recognise the positive contribution that Ukrainian refugees have made and continue to make here. Ukraine remains under daily attack and the outlook remains uncertain. Membership of the European Union by Ukraine – its stated goal – would, of course, render the issue of the status of Ukrainians refugees moot. In this regard, the Government’s espoused intention to use its six-month presidency of the European Union – which starts in July – to advance Ukraine’s ambition for fast-tracked EU membership is both timely and apposite.