MANY Ukrainian families that arrived in Spain after Russia’s invasion last year still have not received a penny of their promised €400 per month payments.
168,000 Ukrainians have been registered by the Interior Ministry as under temporary protection in the country.
A €52.8 million fund to help the most vulnerable refugees was promised last June, with money being paid out by Spain’s 17 regional governments.
Besides the €400 payment, families judged to be ‘at risk’ would also get an extra €100 per child per month.
Nothing has happened though with areas like the Valencian Community, which has the highest number of Ukrainians in Spain, Murcia, Catalunya, and Madrid are yet to start paying out from the fund.
The El Pais newspaper has reported that four other regions are also in the same position.
Valencian president, Ximo Puig, pledged last week that money would start being available from this month, with similar promises coming from Catalunya and Madrid, with the three regions accounting for two-thirds of Ukraine refugees under temporary protection.
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration confirmed to El Pais that it distributed the money to the regional administrations last October.
Refugees could not apply until December in Catalunya and the Valencian Community and late November in Madrid.
Catalunya has so far received over 6,000 application for money.
The central government has blamed the regions for the delays, with the Ministry stating that it fulfilled its obligation by handing over the cash.
Administrations in Catalunya and Madrid claim the complexity of the required documentation for the hold-up, as well as the national government.
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