The Minister for Justice & Equality Frances Fitzgerald has announced that the Irish Government will accept up to 4,000 refugees under Resettlement & Relocation Programmes. The Government also stated that it agreed to establish an ‘Irish Refugee Protection Programme’ to provide sanctuary to those who are seeking international protection. The announcements came after a special cabinet meeting which was convened by the Taoiseach to discuss Ireland’s response to the current refugee crisis.
An estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of civil war in March 2011. It has contributed to global refugee figures exceeding 50 million, resulting in the UN declaring it to be the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.
The cabinet agreed that Ireland would accept an additional 2,900 refugees who are seeking international protection. This is in addition to the 600 people already agreed to earlier this year under the proposed EU Relocation programme and 520 refugees being relocated to Ireland under a previously-agreed programme.
Minister Fitzgerald stated that the Government plans to create a network of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres to cater for the initial acceptance and processing of those refugees when they first arrive into Ireland under the EU programme. The Hazel Hotel in Co. Kildare is already serving as an orientation centre for those refugees that have arrived into Ireland and it is intended that the hotel will accommodate 520 refugees by the end of next year. During their stay at the orientation centre, the refugees will receive any necessary medical treatment and will also partake in English language classes and community socialisation programmes to help them integrate into Irish society.
The Government announced that provisions would be made in the upcoming budget to accommodate the increase in asylum and other immigration cases. Furthermore, it was highlighted by Minister Fitzgerald the urgency and importance of bringing forward the International Protection Bill to streamline and expedite the application process for protection status due to the current global refugee situation.
Click here to read the General Scheme for the International Protection Bill.