Gallery: Estonian passenger ferry opens as temporary home for refugees
Tallink's ship the MS Isabelle was decorated in yellow and blue on Thursday to welcome the first Ukrainian refugees who will use the passenger ferry as a temporary home.
Refugees will be able to stay on the ship, moored in Tallinn's harbor, for a month
The ship has been turned into a floating home as hotels can no longer accommodate new arrivals and finding apartments on the rental market is proving to be difficult in the capital.
Once onboard, it will be possible to apply for temporary protection or register with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Board.
The ferry, which usually services the Riga-Stockholm route, can accommodate approximately 2,100 people and will initially be used as temporary housing for four months.
So far, more than 27,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Estonia and more than 6,000 need government-provided accommodation.
The media were allowed to look around the ship on Thursday afternoon.
The agreement to use the ferry was made by the Tallink Grupp and the Social Insurance Board.
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Editor: Helen Wright
