Attachments
Situation Overview
Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, Slovakia has seen a rapid influx of persons fleeing hostilities and seeking protection. More than one million Ukrainian and third-country nationals (TCNs) in need of international protection have crossed the borders into Slovakia, 78 per cent of whom are women and children.112 Refugees from Ukraine include older people, persons with disabilities, and those with urgent health care needs. The Government of Slovakia has generously kept the borders open, and national, district and local authorities have rapidly responded to the large numbers of arrivals. Local communities have taken a welcoming stance, with humanitarian actors, civil society, the private sector and community volunteers complementing the government- led efforts by providing significant support at border reception points and urban areas.
Temporary protection (TP) status has been accessible to refugees arriving from Ukraine and their families since 1 March 2022 and as of end December 2022 a total of 104,764 individuals have applied for temporary protection in Slovakia, with the Government estimating that an additional 10,000 Ukrainians are benefiting from tolerated stay, within the legal framework, and hence are not registered for protection in Slovakia.
On 30 March 2022, the Government adopted Act No. 92/2022 Coll (Lex Ukraine) introducing further measures to address the situation in Ukraine, amending in total 32 Acts, including the Asylum Act, Residence of Foreigners Act, and the Health Act. In particular, these amendments extended the validity of temporary stays, permanent stays, and tolerated stays already granted to Ukrainian citizens as well as third-country nationals until two months after the state of emergency - which has been declared in connection with the Ukrainian situation - concludes. The amendments also established the possibility for TP holders to be accommodated outside of humanitarian centres or asylum facilities. Additionally, TP holders are entitled to “urgent and necessary” health care as well as certain social benefits, including core relief items, childcare allowance for children up to three years of age, or up to six years of age for children with a long-term adverse health condition, subsidies for lunches in kindergartens and primary schools, and for school stationery.
Despite the favorable protection environment for refugees in the country, there remain major challenges in addressing areas such as access to longer-term accommodation, the labour market and quality health care, especially for persons with underlying serious health conditions. Such gaps include comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, preventative mother and childcare, including immunization, education, available social protection mechanisms, ensuring specialized services for GBV survivors, and access of persons with disabilities to existing assistance mechanisms.
The risk of further displacement from Ukraine remains high, and new arrivals of refugees in Slovakia are expected in the context of escalating attacks on and damage to civilian infrastructure and evacuation of civilians in areas affected by the conflict. The projected population in need of assistance in Slovakia over the course of 2023 may reach 200,000 individuals, due to additional people joining those from the first emergency wave, including those who may be moving due to particular winter needs, which could provide additional strains to overloaded services, such as for accommodation and health services. In addition, there are secondary movements of refugees from Ukraine to and from other countries in the region, which provides additional challenges for the authorities to plan services.
This inter-agency refugee response plan (RRP) for Slovakia brings together 28 partners in a coordinated multi-sectoral response with the aim to complement the government-led efforts and in particular by addressing any gaps in the provision of assistance and services to refugees. In addition, this multi-partner response plan will advance the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in the Slovak society, including by strengthening social cohesion between refugees and their host communities.