LCNI statement
This week marks four years since the establishment of Ukraine Assistance Centres (UACs) in Northern Ireland.
The UACs were set up to welcome people forced to flee Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The centres ran for 18 months. As of December 2025, approximately 3,200 visas have been granted to Ukrainians in Northern Ireland. 1
The UACs were managed by The Executive Office and brought together key services. Operating with the support of Councils, the UACs were held in different locations across Northern Ireland including Belfast, Newry, Craigavon, Ballymena, Dungannon and Derry.
Ukrainians arriving at the UACs received a warm welcome on arrival with tea, buns and even teddy bears for young children. The Ukrainian ‘guests’ then made their way around the building and received advice and assistance on accessing public services including health, education, jobs, social security benefits, housing and immigration.
The Law Centre attended the UACs to provide immigration advice and advised over 1000+ families. Despite capacity challenges due to being a very small team, we were keen to be involved, recognising the value that the UACs brought. It was amazing how much could be achieved in a single day, with multiple services available under one roof. Alongside facilitating administrative processes such as school enrolments and Universal Credit applications, the UAC Model also enabled agencies to quickly identify vulnerable Ukrainians due to poor health, disability, homelessness and Ukrainians who were experiencing and/or at risk of labour exploitation or gender-based harm.
Overall, the UAC model was extremely successful. We were particularly struck by the generosity of spirit of all those involved. It was a genuine collaboration between government agencies and voluntary and community sector organisations. There was good communication between partners, and civil servants were receptive to our proposals for strengthening the reception model to ensure closer alignment to international human rights standards. Most striking among officials was the ‘can-do’ attitude to resolving problems – not least the complex issues that stemmed from the fact that most Ukrainians in Northern Ireland arrived via Dublin rather than a UK port
Four long years have now passed, and The Executive Office has finally committed to establishing ‘resource hubs’ across council areas that will provide support, advice and signposting for asylum seekers and refugees.22 This initiative is welcome, albeit long overdue. These hubs have the potential to bring life to the ethos of ‘Day One’ integration, which underpins Northern Ireland’s Refugee Integration Strategy.
The Ukraine Assistance Centres set a high bar for effective refugee reception in Northern Ireland. The same commitment to multi-agency working is urgently needed to ensure that everyone seeking sanctuary – regardless which country they are fleeing from – can avail of a warm welcome and specialist support.
- Note that the Home Office has acknowledged an ‘undercount’ in Northern Ireland data due to Ukrainians entering Northern Ireland via the Common Travel Area. Home Office, ‘Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority’ (26 February 2026) available here. ↩︎
- NI Assembly Hansard, ‘Written Question: Update on implementation of the Refugee Integration Strategy’ – Paula Bradshaw – AQW 43091/22-27, 24 March 2026 available here. ↩︎
