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ISSUE: Brendan Griffin TD will raise the issue of moving the Ukrainians to Mayo in the Dáil today (Tuesday).

By Michelle Crean

With less than 24 hours until an unexpected move 300kms across the country, Ukrainian women and children in Killarney are desperately pleading to political leaders to help them keep their accommodation.

135 Ukrainian women and children have settled and built their lives while accommodated at Hotel Killarney on the Cork Road since last March. Children have made friends and many of the women found jobs locally.

However, that's now all up in the air after they received a letter with just 48 hours notice to move to Westport tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12pm - following the arrival of up to 190 male refugees from a number of countries including Algeria, Albania, Georgia, Syria, Palestine and others.

According to Ukrainian Dina Kukushkina who works in Reens Pharmacy, it's been a huge shock for them.

"We don't know what to do, we only have one day left," she told the Killarney Advertiser.

"We got a letter yesterday (Monday) with information that we have to move on Wednesday to Mayo."

The Ukrainians are in Ireland under the Temporary Protection Directive which allows them to work. They have spent the last seven months settling into life in Killarney making friends, putting children in local schools and finding jobs.

Dina said that they had no prior notice that the men were arriving - the first they knew, she said, was at 11pm one night last week when they started passing through the corridors of the hotel.

"We were very shocked. We just looked from behind the door, a lot of men were passing through, we didn't expect that."

She said that the children will be re-traumatised if they have to move and settle into new lives again.

"We don't have any other choice. We are desperate, we are trembling. It's crazy for our children. We have started to build our lives here and settle. I found a good job and started to feel confident again. We are very grateful to the government and people of Ireland and especially Kerry for helping us and for the feeling of safety for our families."

Kerry TD Brendan Griffin will today (Tuesday) raise the issue as a matter of an emergency in the Dáil.

He said that he has tried numerous times to contact Roderic O'Gorman, TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to get some answers.

"This is scandalous," he told the Killarney Advertiser.

"The message it is sending out to Ukrainians is 'no matter what support you're getting - don't rest easy as you could be moved'. This is so wrong, for the children in particular who have settled and got a routine in their lives, to move them 300kms away. Their new lives are in Killarney now. The lads [men refugees] are far more mobile, they haven't put down roots. The children will be traumatised."

He added that one option for the women and children is to refuse to get on the bus tomorrow but that comes with a further risk.

"There's a great unease about moving but if you go against International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) you're thrown out of the system."