Vol. 498 No. 4
103 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give details of a recent decision to settle 350 Bosnian and 200 Vietnamese immigrants in the State in order to facilitate family reunification; the reasons for this decision; Ireland's obligations in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27820/98]
The Government has responded from time to time to appeals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to accept groups of refugees in response to specific international crisis situations. Refugees who come to Ireland in this way do so under specific Government decisions and are known as programme refugees. The main groups of programme refugees in Ireland are Vietnamese and Bosnians.
The Government recently agreed a further and final round of visas for family reunification for relatives of Bosnian and Vietnamese refugees already in Ireland. Under this Government decision, up to 200 Vietnamese and 350 Bosnians will be admitted. The decision was taken to satisfy the genuine need for family reunification felt in both communities and as part of the process of resettlement and integration.
