A new law has come into force in Hungary which threatens to push thousands of Ukrainian refugees on to the streets or back to Ukraine.

The regulation restricts state support for Ukrainians to those who come from parts of Ukraine directly affected by the fighting caused by Russia’s invasion.

Thirteen regions in Ukraine are on the list, which will be updated monthly by the Hungarian government.

It is not known how many of the 31,000 Ukrainians taking shelter in Hungary will be affected by the new law.

Human rights groups say the most vulnerable are those from the Roma ethnic minority from the westernmost Transcarpathian region, who are still living in shelters which will now close.

Their situation is complicated by the fact that many are dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizens. That makes them ineligible for asylum elsewhere in the European Union.

Under the new law, only Ukrainians whose last official address in Ukraine was in an area “directly affected by military operations” remain eligible for state support, which includes free housing and a basic monthly sum.

Government decree 134 changes legislation dating back to 2022 and the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.